Airline debit card surcharges soar by 1,000% in seven years

Which? research finds that airlines have profited to the tune of £40 million from introducing debit card fees.

Which? says that some airlines’ debit card charges have increased by up to 1,000% over the past seven years.

The consumer champion is keeping the pressure on the airline industry after the Office of Fair Trading upheld its ‘super complaint’ on the charges. But the Government hasn’t yet made the move to ban them.

Which? says that Ryanair has increased its debit card surcharge by 1,400% over the past seven years. Flybe has increased its surcharge by 1,025%. EasyJet now charges £8 for debit card transactions.

Despite the OFT ruling, Swiss International and Lufthansa both introduced £4.50 fees for both debit and credit card purchases in November.

In total, Which? estimates that airlines have made over £40 million from debit card surcharges. It recently sent Financial Secretary Mark Hoban 40 cupcakes to mark this inauspicious milestone.

Back in September, Ryanair introduced its own pre-paid Cash Passport Card. This, in theory, offers the chance to book flights with the airline and avoid its card fees. However, it comes with a host of catches, including inactivity fees. We looked at this card in more detail in this article.

Credit card surcharges also sky high

Airlines’ credit card surcharges, while not part of the super complaint, also come under fire.

Which? says that easyJet has increased its credit card surcharges by 50%, while BMI has raised its by 12.5%. And BA now charges £4.50 for a credit card transaction, although purchases on debit cards are still free.

What do you think? Is it time these charges were banned? Let us know via the comment box below.

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