Customers 'hit by unclear baggage charges'
Customers 'hit by unclear baggage charges'
Travellers have been warned to be on their guard over airline baggage charges.
An investigation by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) has revealed that many major airlines are making money by not being open about such charges.
Bruce Treloar, TSI's national lead officer for holidays and travel, said: "Since February 2006, we have been raising concerns about the lack of transparency of flight pricing and the Office of Fair Training (OFT) last August announced it was taking action against 13 online airlines over misleading holiday pricing.
"But our investigation proves that a number of airlines are finding new ways to add extra charges to flight prices."
The investigation found confusion over baggage limits, inaccurate scales being used to weigh luggage at check-in and a "bewildering" use of tick-boxes on websites that have all contributed to passengers being caught out by extra charges.
As a result of the OFT action last year, 13 airlines amended their websites to ensure that fixed, non-optional costs are included in their advertised prices.
This article was brought to you by holidaylettings.co.uk, the UK's No.1 holiday home website.
3 April 2008
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