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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Airfares finally transparent, but turbulence expected
CHRISTMAS has come early for Canadian air travellers.
The country's major airlines are now all advertising airfares on an all-in basis -- so the price quoted includes all taxes, fees and surcharges -- 10 months before new federal rules would have made the practice mandatory.
That's a nice change for consumers, after the governing Conservatives dragged their feet for more than four years before finally giving the go-ahead in December to amendments to the Canada Transportation Act to force airlines to advertise all-in-one airfare pricing.
Those changes, passed by Parliament back in 2007, were to take effect by Christmas this year. But WestJet, Air Canada and Porter already are advertising all-inclusive prices.
Whatever the reason for the airline industry's new enthusiasm for truth in airfare advertising -- lobbying by the airlines had been behind the regulatory delay -- we welcome the end of the deceptive practice of promoting low airfares that, once taxes, fees and surcharges were added, could amount to an actual price that was three times higher.
Meanwhile, one of the newest fees added to the tickets of European-bound air travellers is sparking talk of an international trade war.
The European Union's adamant decision to unilaterally impose an emissions-reduction fee on all airlines flying in and out of Europe will be the subject of a Feb. 21 meeting in Moscow of some 27 nations, including Canada, the U.S., China and India, to discuss possible retaliatory measures against European air carriers.
China has already said its airlines will not be sharing their emissions data with the Europeans, as required by the new EU law.
The fee, estimated to have added about $6 to round-trip airfares on flights to Europe since Jan. 1, is to rise substantially in coming years.
The charge is being phased in, with only 15 per cent of emissions counting in 2012.
Ottawa is right to insist the Europeans back off until an international aviation emissions-reduction agreement -- which is needed -- can be struck through negotiations.
While the EU is correct the International Civil Aviation Organization has been unable to broker such a deal in 14 years of effort, this is not the time, given the fragile state of the world economy, to be risking trade wars.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 18, 2012 A17
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