MELBOURNE: Budget carrier
AirAsia has been slapped with a hefty fine for not including taxes and other
charges on its website.
The airline was fined
A$200,000 in the Melbourne Federal Court Tuesday for contravening the single
pricing provision of the Australian Consumer Law, said the Australian
Associated Press.
The Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission said the case followed a 10-month period during which
the www.airasia.com website did not display some airfare prices inclusive of
all taxes, duties, fees and other mandatory charges "in a prominent way
and as a single figure".
The fine related to flights
between Melbourne and Macau, London, Ho Chi Minh City, New Delhi, Hangzhou and
Chengdu, as well as, from Perth to Taipei, Phuket, Osaka, London, Ho Chi Minh
City and Hangzhou and from the Gold Coast to Ho Chi Minh City.
Justice Tracey said unless
the full price is prominently displayed the consumer may well be attracted to a
transaction which he or she would not otherwise have found to be appealing and
grudgingly pay the additional imposts rather than go to the trouble of
withdrawing from the transaction and looking elsewhere.
He said the company would
also obtain an advantage over competitors who are compliant.
He accepted a court
undertaking from Air Asia Bhd restraining it from engaging in similar conduct
for three years.
"This ACCC action
vindicates the importance of all inclusive pricing. (Bernama)
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