The federal government has mandated all-inclusive airfare advertising under amendments to the Air Transportation Regulations.
The new rules require air service advertisers to display the total price a consumer must pay in order to fly, including all taxes, fees and charges.
The amendments apply to the price of air services advertised in any media to the public, for travel within or originating in Canada.
“We are protecting Canadian air travellers by helping them see clearly and up front the full cost of air tickets, so they can make informed travel choices,” said Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “In addition to benefitting consumers by ensuring transparent advertising, these regulations will promote fair competition between all advertisers.”
The Canadian Transportation Agency will work with air price advertisers and provide direction to ensure early compliance with the regulations and overall success in the implementation of the new regulations.
The agency promises to use a proactive educational approach to ensure that air price advertisers are aware of their responsibility to comply as early as possible with the regulations and reach out to associations representing the air travel industry, as well as provincial government organizations dealing with travel agencies.
“The Harper government takes consumer protection very seriously,” said Lebel. “Offenders can be fined up to $25,000.”
