"Ottawa moves to make fare price fair"

mantogasrsrwy · Post by **mantogasrsrwy** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:52 pm

Globe and Mail

"Ottawa moves to make fare price fair
Thursday, March 24, 2005 Updated at 3:47 PM EST
Canadian Press

Ottawa — Canadian travellers may never again see ads for $1 air fares — and that's not because discount carrier Jetsgo has gone belly up.
The federal government introduced amendments to the Transportation Act on Thursday that would force airlines to include all taxes, fees and other charges in their advertised ticket prices.
Consumers have been agitating for a clearer system of ticket pricing for some time, said Transport Minister Jean Lapierre.
He's hoping Canada's airlines will voluntarily change their practices. “If not, we're going to act directly,” with the legislated amendments, Mr. Lapierre said following a cabinet meeting.
“Whenever they advertise specials and everything, we want to make sure that the consumer gets the real price and not the divided price.”
So it's just for the consumer to have the truth.”
Jetsgo suspended operations earlier this month after offering specials as cheap as a buck on some routes. By the time government taxes and airport fees were included, those tickets actually cost closer to $100.
“Some of those advertisements were really inviting people to travel for a very cheap price and then when they got to the counter they were pretty surprised,” said Mr. Lapierre."

Does anyone else see this for what it is, a way of hideing the truth? E.G. that the federal government is taxing the ticket to death and stifling the airline industry in the process? They claim to be looking out for the consumer when what they are actually doing is trying to pull the wool over their eyes. Why can't the airline advertise it's price and then add Martin's share when the time comes to purchase? I don't think the airlines are hideing anything....they give you the bottom line when it comes time to enter your credit card number. I don't agree with the Feds being able to hide what they are sucking out of the industry. Did people actually think they could buy a ticket for 1$ and that would be the bottom line?

rollie · Post by **rollie** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 5:08 pm

You're not required to display prices that include GST as any othe business so why should airlines have to display prices with tax in? Everyone should play by the same rules, if airlines have to do this then stores everywhere should display prices with taxes in.

Jaques Strappe · Post by **Jaques Strappe** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 5:11 pm

That is exactly what they are doing! Welome to the Socialist Republic Of Canada!

complexintentions · Post by **complexintentions** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 5:32 pm

What a joke. Of COURSE the feds are just trying to hide their raping the airline system for cash, if consumers shifted blame from those evil overpaid pilots and their employers to where it belongs, how would they be able to milk the sh%t out of the industry?!

Here's another absolutely brutal ripoff: airport rents!

When CYVR was privatized, it was valued at $170 million dollars. The federal government collects $80 million dollars yearly in rent! I wish I could get that sort of return on MY investments!!

Who do you think pays for this?! It gets passed to the airlines, who pass it to....wait for it...the pax! Totally sickening.

Which isn't to say I'm totally sympathetic to the idiot airport authorities all over the place, which are simply another layer of government by another name. Except, we don't get to elect them and they answer to no one. Which leads to kingdom-building by the likes of Berg and his cabal at YVR...as long as he can get his ego-stroke from being listed in Conde Nast as having a swanky airport...maked me glad to fork over that ever-increasing AIF...

gawd whan an industry..gives me a headache...

bcflyer · Post by **bcflyer** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 5:45 pm

So where are those reporters that were looking for a story now? I'm sure there are some of us on here that would be MORE than happy to fill them in on what is happening with regards to taxes, rents etc. OH wait there's nothing sensational about the story.

Like Rollie said, why should airlines have to show their prices with all taxes included. No other business is required to. When car dealers advertise their prices do they include all the taxes and surcharges? NOT BLOODY LIKELY! All the average pax will see is the increase in ticket price and that will drive them even farther away!

complexintentions · Post by **complexintentions** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 6:21 pm

Yeah but car dealers don't have eighteen different types of taxes and fees to collect!