An online table comparing extra fees charged by 23 airlines operating in the UK has been reviewed and updated in time for the summer peak period.
The tool, originally launched by the Civil Aviation Authority earlier in the year, contains information on charges ranging from booking priority boarding, to taking sports equipment on the flight, reserving seats and in-flight meals.
Where fees and charges are not optional extras but unavoidable, such as Air Passenger Duty, they must by law be included in the price of the ticket at the start of the booking process. The CAA said it continues to work to ensure this happens.
The Office of Fair Trading also announced recently that following enforcement action, a group of 12 airlines have agreed to include debit card surcharges in the headline price rather than surprise consumers at the end of the booking process.
CAA chief executive Andrew Haines said: “The UK has a fantastically diverse aviation market that offers choice and value to millions of passengers each year, and if passengers are to really see the benefit of that diversity, they have to know the full picture about the flight they are booking.
“We made this tool available to help give passengers that full picture; allowing them to make informed decisions about what flight suits them best, safe in the knowledge they are aware of any potential fees and charges they may have to pay on top of the price of the ticket.
“It’s proved very popular, and we hope even more passengers will now take advantage of this useful tool.”
The fees and charges comparison table is available from the CAA’s Passenger Portal, which also includes a range of additional advice for passengers to use before they fly, on board the aircraft and after they return from their trip.