Travelers are up in arms after an airline has added more fees to their bookings even after their tickets were purchased. According to the New York Post, the charge is set to be from $8 to $11 per passenger.
The responsible airline is Volotea, a Spanish budget airline. They have blamed the surging cost of oil amid the situation in Iran for the price hike. But, this isn't a new or unexpected thing.
There is a clause in place on many popular cruise lines that pushes the price of oil onto customers. This is a clause Volotea seemingly has wanted to add themselves. They refer to it as their "Fair Travel Promise."
The "Fair Travel Promise" says that an extra charge may or may not be imposed around seven days before departure. This can be frustrating, especially if global events like the ones recently happen. The worst part is that Volotea is a budget airliner - the low prices of tickets could be offset if passengers pay more before the flight lifts off.
Their terms and conditions say that the adjustments are "limited and temporary". They also say that "such adjustments will only apply to passengers who have been informed of this possibility during the booking process, allowing them to make an informed decision before completing their purchase."
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Customers Have Took To Social Media to Complain About the Airline
Customers have took to social media to complain about the extra charges.
One wrote that a "funky airline" resorting to "such a gritty survival instinct" is a pity, and that whilst they understand the "why", the move "risks a lot of goodwill". Another wrote that no one ever reads the conditions of carriage, and that this seemed to be quite the sneaky move.
However, some have defended what in the grand scheme of things is quite a small charge. One commentor wrote that "$10 seems a small price to keep flights operating as normally as possible." But, others say that Volotea was looking to make a "nice little profit" from the crisis in Iran.
Either way, one thing's true - people really aren't happy at this development!
