FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 18, 2001
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
DOT 13-01
Internet Airfare Ads Must State Full Price, DOT Says
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today reminded airlines, travel agents, and other sellers of air transportation that use of the Internet to market air transportation will require that all fare advertisements state the full fare to be charged to the consumer.
"We are reminding sellers of air transportation that their obligation to provide complete and accurate fare information applies to Internet advertisements just as it does to other media," U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater said. "This continues our effort to improve the information available to travelers, following the report of our task force on improving on-time flight information and our report on the carriers’ "best practices" for improving customer service -- a priority which ranks second only to safety."
The department’s rules state that fare advertisements by air carriers or their agents must state the full price charged to the consumer. Agents are also precluded by rule from misrepresenting airfares to consumers. Following its enforcement policy, the department allows only government-imposed taxes and fees charged on a per-passenger basis, such as passenger facility charges and departure taxes, to be listed separately. All other charges must be included in the stated fare.
The department recently examined fare displays on a number of websites that mention that a so-called "fuel surcharge" will be assessed in addition to the stated fare. The surcharge is often mentioned on a separate page or a footnote, and the amount of the surcharge is often not stated until the consumer selects an airline and itinerary. The failure to include these fees in the base price violates the department’s price-advertising rules and can prevent consumers from making accurate fare comparisons when making purchasing decisions.
In the notice issued today, the department said that it has taken enforcement action in the past regarding Internet ads that violate price-advertising regulations, and that it will continue to take steps to ensure that consumers are not misled and that all Internet sites conform to DOT rules.
DOT’s notice is available via the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov/reports.
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