The Office of Fair Trading is poised to take action against operators adding fuel supplements to prices as early as next month.
TUI UK wrote to the OFT last week seeking a response to an earlier letter asking for action on supplements. The company stopped adding fuel supplements to summer 2007 holiday prices last month.
There is no indication what action the OFT might take.
A restriction on supplements could be introduced for the next edition of summer 2007 brochures or, possibly, summer 2008 programmes.
TUI confirmed it had received a reply from the OFT, but would not comment.
But an industry source said: “This needed to be addressed before the post-Christmas peak-trading period.”
TUI UK sales director Derek Jones said the fuel price was no longer a variable cost requiring a supplement. He acknowledged some of the company’s prices may appear higher than rivals before supplements are added.
“We’re not saying we’re not charging for fuel. Our brochure prices include all the cost of fuel.”