Monarch Airlines throws down gauntlet to rivals as it scraps card booking fees on tickets
Families will save up to £60 on each flight or holiday booking but dozens of airlines are still charging the fees
MONARCH Airlines is scrapping credit card booking fees, setting carriers on course for a price war.
The firm, which had charged three per cent, is ditching the extra cost from next Thursday.
Families will save up to £60 on each flight or holiday booking. But dozens of airlines are still charging the fees.
Flybe pockets three per cent with a £5 minimum, Ryanair takes two per cent, easyJet one per cent and British Airways £5 per passenger regardless of fare. Holiday operator Thomas Cook has a two per cent credit card fee up to £95 per booking and Thomson takes 1.5 per cent.
Campaign group Fairer Finance said: “The pressure is on the other airlines now and it is going to get harder for them to justify charging this much.”
A Euro ruling last year said airlines should not charge more than it costs to process a credit card payment — typically 0.6 per cent.
Monarch is one of the first major British airlines to comply.
Fairer Finance’s James Daley said: “Anyone charging more than 0.6 per cent is in breach of the rules. Lots of airlines and travel companies are just ignoring them. Passengers have basically been getting ripped off.”
In September this year, Monarch was forced to deny “negative speculation” that it was in financial trouble after ATOL told it to renew its licence or stop selling package holidays.
Monarch later announced it had successfully renewed its licence, ensuring its flights can continue to operate as normal.