Booking Flights Online and Surcharges
Based on the latest ADAC magazine, charging extra for credit card payment when booking a flight is no longer permissible.
This decision was passed down by the Berlin Superior Court of Justice (Az. 23 U 243/08). Germany’s Better Business Bureau (Verbraucherzentrale) filed a suit against the airline Ryanair, because it charged an extra € 4 per person, one-way, for each online credit card payment. All other methods of payment are rated at € 1,50 extra.
Based on this, the Superior Court of Justice cannot recognize any return-service to justify this inflated surcharge.
When booking online directly with the airline, keep this new regulation in mind and avoid overpaying.
Tags: bookings flights online, credit card payment surcharges, suit against Ryanair
July 10th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
One of the main reasons why this was a problem, was because the surcharge was PER PERSON, but the payment was PER BOOKING.
Charging extra for using a credit card is permissible in principle in some countries (eg. the UK where it is called “differential pricing”).
Currently their table of fees (http://www.ryanair.com/site/DE/faqs.php?sect=CHARGES) shows 5EUR per person and flight if you pay by credit card of direct debit (Lastschrift), unless you use a “Visa Electron” card.
They give the following reason:
“Um die hohen Verwaltungskosten zu decken, die beim Verarbeiten von Zahlungen per Kredit- und Zahlungskarte oder im elektronischen Lastschriftverfahren anfallen, erheben wir für jeden Fluggast pro Flugabschnitt eine Bearbeitungsgebühr.”
So, regardless of the court’s decision, if you want to fly with them what choice have you got?
July 10th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
[...] talkfinance wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptGermany’s Better Business Bureau (Verbraucherzentrale) filed a suit against the airline Ryanair, because it charged an extra € 4 per person, one-way, for each online credit card payment. All other methods of payment are rated at € 1,50 … [...]
July 19th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
[...] Booking Flights Online and Surcharges [...]