Mumbai: A federation of travel agents has sent legal notices to 44 international airlines, including Air India, for allegedly fooling passengers by making claims of cheap air fare and then slapping on extra charges as tax.
With airfares coming down drastically in recent times, international airlines use innovative marketing techniques to promote cheap fares. They allegedly misguide passengers by not including expenses like fuelling and insurance in the basic fare and then combining it with taxes.
“If basic fare is Rs 2,000 then the fuel surcharge will be about Rs 8,000. Therefore we are saying the surcharge must be a part of the fare,” says VP, Travel agents federation of India, Pradeep Lulla.
The airlines that have been sent notices include well-known international carriers like Air India, Jet Airways, Lufthansa, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic.
Although the airline authorities said that they had received the notices, they declined from making any further comments. On the other hand, consumers too feel that the system should be more transparent.
Many people want to know who is taking all the money if the taxes are not going to the government.
The TAFI is planning to send similar notices to domestic carriers as well and as consumer awareness increases, all airlines will have to think of better ways of dealing with increasing fuel prices and customer expectations.
With inputs from Rukmini Singh
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