Airlines’ hidden charges not allowed

Law amendment to require advertised airfare prices to include all other charges

KUALA LUMPUR: Travellers will no longer have to deal with hidden charges for airfares from June 1 when airlines are required to show the final price, including taxes and fees.

This follows the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s (Mavcom) amendments to the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016.

With this change in law, the price shown in advertisements and other points of sale must already include all other charges, such as government tax and fees, fees prescribed by the law and fuel surcharges.

This, in effect, eliminates hidden charges like administrative fees and card payment charges.

Charges for optional services, such as baggage, seats and meals, should also be displayed and included in the final price at point of payment.

The new rules also call for refunds on flight tickets to passengers who cannot make their flights within 30 days of a request being made, even for a ticket purchased through a travel agent.

The refund must include passenger service charges (PSC), also known as airport taxes, and other taxes, charges, and fees.

If a ticket is purchased under a non-refundable term, passengers are allowed to get a refund on the PSC and airlines are permitted to charge a maximum of 5% of the processing fee.

Mavcom CEO Dr Nungsari Ahmad Radhi said PSC was a statutory charge collected on behalf of the government and imposed on travellers who used airport facilities.

“If a passenger buys a ticket but misses the flight, he should be able to get a refund on the PSC and deal with the airline to get a refund on the ticket,” he said.

Full amendments to the code can be found on www.mavcom.my.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar said the amendments would further enhance and protect consumer travel rights.

“Since its implementation, Mavcom has obtained much feedback from consumers,” he said.

To further help consumers understand their rights, Mavcom has also launched the FlySmart platform.

The platform enables travellers to file their complaints and track their status via a mobile app or on its website www.flysmart.my.

It aims to empower consumers by featuring success stories of those who were able to exercise their rights with the commission’s help.