Between €6 and €14. That's what Volotea asked its passengers for a supplement to compensate for the soaring price of kerosene. A supplement discreetly named "Fair Travel Promise," which the company justified as follows during a booking: " At VoloteaInstead of applying fixed fuel surcharges which only increase the price of your ticket, we link them to the actual market price. The price of your booking can be adjusted 7 days before departure, up to €14 per passenger per flight. And, if the fuel price falls below the base price defined at the time of your booking, we will refund you the difference. With our Fair Travel Promise, you only pay what is absolutely necessary for your flights: no more, no less.
To make it easier to swallow, all bookings then included Flex Protection at no extra charge in exchange. This allowed all passengers, regardless of booking class, to modify flights up to 4 hours before departure without modification fees or even cancel their booking and receive a refund in credit. This measure has in fact been maintained despite the abolition of the post-surcharge.
It was in fact under pressure from Italy and Spain that Volotea took action. In Italy, the Competition Authority (AGCM) had launched an investigation into possible “unfair commercial practices”, arguing that displaying an incomplete price at the time of booking could mislead consumers. The authority also criticised the pressure placed on travellers, who were forced to pay additional fees a few days before their departure. Failure to do so would result in their booking being cancelled. Volotea has, moreover, stated that 97% of the passengers subject to its surcharge accepted it… With no real choice in the matter!
In Spain, the consumer association Facua has reported the Ministry of Consumption, considering that this retroactive pricing contravened the European rules on price transparency. For its part, the European Commission recalled in May that airlines must display the final price paid by the passenger from the outset of booking and that no mandatory surcharges can be added after the ticket has been purchased.
So everything seems to be back to normal. And it is almost certain that whatever Volotea has lost on one side will be compensated for in one way or another...
