Australia: Jetsetters hit by lower fees for taking off

Nasty fees attached to booking flights have been significantly slashed, with the government moving to help jetsetters escape getting stung when travelling by air. The competition watchdog — the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) — rolled out a major crackdown on businesses, particularly airlines, from charging whatever they like for consumers paying by credit card. Some travellers had previously been forking out up to $17 in extra fees for a return domestic flight booking. Businesses are now only able to charge customers what it costs them to make a payment using a credit card, which is a percentage-based surcharge usually around 1%. Numbers crunched by consumer group Choice found customers on a one-way flight from Sydney to Melbourne are now paying a surcharge of between $0.99 and $2.16 instead of up to $8.50.<br/>The group’s spokesman Tom Godfrey said he was “delighted” to see the “surcharge rip-off” had come to an end. “Previously when you were booking a flight the airlines would charge you a flat fee ranging from $7 up to $8.50, now following the introduction of surcharging legislation the fees have dropped right down,’’ he said. “This is a real example of where consumer power has driven real changes and savings for everyone in the community.”<br/>