Holidaymakers ‘ripped-off’ as airline add-ons are ‘inferior yet expensive’, investigation finds
HOLIDAYMAKERS who buy extras from airlines risk being ripped off, an investigation claimed yesterday. Add-ons such as car hire or insurance can be inferior — yet more expensive — to products bought independently, the probe found. Consumer watchdog Which? Travel totted up the extras offered by seven airlines flying on European routes. They compared the […]
HOLIDAYMAKERS who buy extras from airlines risk being ripped off, an investigation claimed yesterday.
Add-ons such as car hire or insurance can be inferior — yet more expensive — to products bought independently, the probe found.
Consumer watchdog Which? Travel totted up the extras offered by seven airlines flying on European routes.
They compared the packages with quotes from shopping around.
The bundled deals included easyJet offering Europcar vehicle hire for £119 when flying from Newcastle to Malaga.
That was £73 dearer than an independently sourced quote from Centauro — which Which? rates higher.
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Other firms, including Wizz Air and Ryanair, offered relatively cheap travel insurance but it fell short of recommended levels of cover.
Which? Travel said: “In some cases the results were a clear rip-off.
“A one-stop shop, allowing you to arrange your holiday itinerary with a few clicks, might seem convenient, but it could end up costing you.
“Our advice is to shop around and not be seduced by the easy option when it comes to buying extras.”
Airports walkout
SOME 700 workers at two airports staged 12-hour strikes in a row over pay and pensions.
Unite members at Glasgow and Aberdeen walked out at 4am yesterday, following a breakdown in talks with owner AGS Airports.
Similar action is planned at the sites on Monday along with a four-hour walkout at Glasgow on Friday.
AGS said “robust contingency plans” were in place at both airports but Unite claimed Glasgow operations were “severely disrupted”.
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