Service fee has to be transparent
The Federal Court of Justice of Germany (Bundesgerichtshof) decided that all fees have to be included in the price of the ticket right away, if not every customer can avoid them.
This includes service charges that would only lapse when choosing a certain means of payment. It is not sufficient to show those fees in the last step of the booking process. Consumers should be able to make an effective price comparison when booking a flight.
Please find below the full text of the verdict (German):
A decision by the ECJ has once again clearly strengthened air passenger rights. If a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed due to an announced strike by airline staff, passengers may have a right to compensation.
Refunds through booking platforms are particularly difficult. Those who have booked flights with intermediaries such as Opodo, Expedia & Co that were cancelled due to the pandemic are having a hard time getting their money back. Enquiries are piling up at arbitration offices and consumer protection agencies.
Misleading advertising of "flexible" tickets by the online tour operator led to a lawsuit and conviction in Vienna.
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