[Travelandtourism] No More Asterisks On Fare Ads

[Mary Donahue]

Good afternoon everyone,

                Cheryl's post concerning DOT'S proposed rules regarding
airline fee disclosure prompted me to share the following blog post with the
list. Here it is:

 

>From the Web Site: http://www.socialflights.com/blog/ 

 

No More Asterisks On Fare Ads
<https://socialflights.com/blog/2012/01/05/no-more-asterisks-on-fare-ads/> 

by Dan Robles

 

 <http://socialflights.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Airline.png>
Description: Description:
http://socialflights.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Airline.pngSay what
you want about big government consumer watchdogs - increasing information
transparency in business transactions makes markets more efficient. Telling
someone that they can fly from Albuquerque to Tucson for 59 dollars only to
find an 80 dollar fare plus add-ons for everything from baggage, talking to
an agent, to requesting a paper boarding pass - this just goes over the top
of any ethical disclosure standard.

 

* additional fees and taxes apply

 

According to a recent article from the L.A. Times: New rule requires air
fare ads to include taxes and fees
<http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mo-travel-briefcase-20120102,0,139013
3.story> , starting Jan. 26, no more asterisks. A new U.S. Transportation
Department rule requires all advertised air fares to include any compulsory
taxes and fees, including fuel charges and the Sept. 11 Security Fee.

At Social Flights, we go a step further - we will tell you the time tax that
you pay by not using point-to-point direct private service. For example; if
your cheap fare takes two connection flights, with long waits, parking and
airport fees plus extra overnights, we will happily tell you that if the
value of your time is more than X dollars per hour, then we are cheaper. We
can take you there in 3 hours instead of 13.but I digress.

"The price advertising provision was adopted to make sure passengers know
the full amount they will have to pay for air transportation when they buy a
ticket," said agency spokesman Bill Mosley.

 

It's all about money and time

 

If anything, quoting a true cost in any form - dollars AND time - provides
the traveler with a broader way of thinking about competing options. Many
short flights have a true speed of less than 60 miles per hour. The customer
needs to be able to compare with the cost of driving. If there are several
overnights involved, the traveler needs to be able to measure those costs
against taking a train and sleeping car. Of course, private air travel on a
shared charter jet holds a distinct segment of the value proposition.

The airlines also described the new rule as "arbitrary and capricious"
because the practice of advertising fees and taxes separately has been used
for years by "virtually every other industry in the United States."

 

Passengers held captive

 

The airlines may have a good point - although we would prefer that they held
themselves to a higher standard than "every other industry". The fear is
that if they quote the true cost, then people would look for alternatives
while they still have time . before they are held captive. See, it's all
about money and time.

 

Peter Donahue

 

 

 

 

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