Away with adverts misleading travel ads

Travel agents on Monday welcomed new guidelines intended to curb
misleading advertisements in the travel industry.
"In a nutshell the guidelines state that prices advertised for
travel products must state the fully inclusive price of the package
or the total cost of the air ticket," said marketing manager of STA
Travel, Liezl Gericke in a statement on Monday.
The guidelines come into effect on Tuesday.
The Association of South African Travel Agents (Asata) said
there was a widening and "unacceptable" gap between what travel
companies -- travel agents, airlines and tour operators -- were
advertising, and what the consumer ultimately paid for the package.
"In previous decades, the advertised airfare was all that the
consumer had to pay, with perhaps one or two small taxes," said
Asata CEO Marion McPherson in a statement published on the
association's website.
"The reality is that in 2006, the advertised price can be as
much as 50 percent lower than what the consumer ultimately pays."
McPherson said airline fuel charges and travel agent fees were
usually excluded from the advertised package.
"The result is that the consumer has little or no confidence in
the integrity of the prices advertised, and this in turn reflects
on the integrity of the industry."
She said the new guidelines were not intended to change or
replace the Advertising Standards Authority (Asa) code.
"The guidelines are meant to assist both Asata members and
non-members... to make the transition to all-inclusive advertising,
at the same time clarifying certain types of advertising that may
be deemed misleading, if a complaint is lodged with the Asa."
In future prices advertised will include VAT, fuel levies,
airport taxes, aviation and security taxes, government-imposed
taxes, agent service fees and any other costs the consumer was
required to bear in order to purchase the product advertised,
including port taxes or forced gratuities in the case of cruise
packages, said Gericke.
The guidelines were implemented by Asata in conjunction with the
Asa.

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Moederloos said:

good.

I am tired of seeing prices for airtickets that exclude almost everything.

"* price quoted excludes airport taxes, fuel, a seat on the airplane, landing fees, take off fees, seat belts, mandatory meals and toilet paper."

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