The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) has hit out at Lufthansa, one of the largest airlines in Europe, for its decision to introduce credit-card charges for bookings made through travel agents.
The premier business travel organisation has suggested that the move will cause “confusion” and prove unpalatable for consumers.
The charges are certainly a bitter pill for British travellers to swallow, coming just a few weeks after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ruled charges like these to be misleading and unfair.
The GBTA’s argument is that, given the level of technology that companies have at their disposal, it should not be difficult to make any charges clear at the outset of a transaction.
It certainly is not ideal for a customer to be faced with an unexpected booking charge at the very end of a transaction.
The GBTA say they will survey the opinion of all their members on this issue, among others, in the build up to its presentation to the European Commission later this year.
Hans Ingo Biehl, the Chairman of the Europe Advocacy Group, has been particularly scathing about the £4.50 charge and what it could mean for the relationship between airlines and their customers.
“We have seen these credit card charges being introduced sporadically across Europe by carriers in the last few years.
“The Lufthansa move adds considerably more cost and confusion to buyers in the markets affected.
“We understand airlines re-visit business models but our primary concern is whether these charges are only presented at the end of the booking when by rights it should be at the fare comparison stage at the beginning of the booking process.”
