New Consumer protection ruling from the US Court of Appeals now requires the ticket total must be displayed in the largest type size and be the most prominent price in an ad or Web page, that airlines allow consumers who purchase tickets more than a week in advance to cancel reservations without penalty within 24 hours after purchase, and airlines are banned from increasing the price of tickets or baggage fees after tickets have been bought.
The 2011 rules say that the price shown in an ad must be “the entire price to be paid by the customer.”
The case had been brought by Allegiant Travel Co (ALGT.O), Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) and Spirit Airlines Inc (SAVE.O), and was supported by the industry’s trade association.
Consumers have been unable to comparison shop ticket prices since 2008, when airlines began charging fees for services that previously had been included.
The industry’s trade association does want consumers to know that taxes and government fees make up about 20 percent of a ticket’s total price.
