Posted on July 10, 2008 by Fiona Hilliard

The era of bargain basement flights is well and truly over and it’s nothing to do with the recession.

European airlines will no longer be able to advertise misleading 99p or €1 fares on their websites or in their brochures, under legislation approved by MEPs yesterday.

By the end of this year all displayed fares will have to include all unavoidable taxes, fees and charges, including those applied to security or fuel, and optional items such as travel insurance will have to be set out clearly on an “opt-in” basis.

The Association of European Airlines has welcomed the move, saying customers were fed up with the fact that what they paid bore little relation to what they offered. The commission last year found more than 1100 airline websites offering misleading prices.

It’s about time airlines cleaned up their acts.  Argus Car Hire has always advertised all-inclusive prices, giving customers real bargains when they book with us.