A victory for Which? and the low-costers
Travel companies, including the low-cost airlines, have today (June 28) been ordered to end the use of hidden surcharges for passengers paying by card.

The UK’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has ordered them to make all debit or credit card charges clear immediately.

It also wants the law changed to abolish altogether charges for using debit cards.

The OFT's announcement comes in response to a super-complaint by the consumers' association Which?, which earlier this year called for customers to be told upfront about charges.

It had also argued that charges to customers should be the same as the cost to retailers, and that retailers should absorb the cost of debit card payments.

Which? had pinpointed low-cost airlines as the worst offenders.

Airline Easyjet charges a surcharge of £8 for payments by debit card and £8 plus 2.5% of the total transaction for credit card users, the OFT's report said.

Ryanair charges £6 per journey for both credit and debit card users.

Some travel companies do not levy a debit card surcharge already and others have agreed with the regulator that they would include this in their headline price online.

Full story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13932299.

Never, ever, volunteer

A family with a small child were late on board a recent flight.
In fact, they were the last to board. However, they wanted to sit together.
(Ever thought of listening to the call for people travelling with children? You then get to choose your seats, you muppets).
One woman, sitting in an aisle seat, with the centre and window seat empty, volunteered to move but said she wanted  to sit two rows further forward where there was only one other person, in a window seat.
The crew thanked her and then asked that she go forward there and then, even though it was easier for everyone for her to wait in the aisle BEHIND the now empty row because of the congested aisle.
Common sense said get the family seated first.
She said she'd  wait. But the crew insisted that she squeeze through, past said family and two trolley dollies.
So she did - and, behind her back,  one crew member made a big show of raising her eyes to the heavens.
So much for volunteering. Moral of the story? Act like a regular low-coster, bury your head in a * book/ magazine/ Kindle (* delete as applicable) and ignore everyone else.

They've done this before
Spotted a couple of regular low-costers at the gate the other day.
They carried out a classic procedure to ensure getting on the plane early without having to pay extra for early boarding/ speedy boarding or borrowing a child to accompany them.
Here's how the move works. Firstly, get in the speedy boarding/ queue 1/ whatever the "first on board" queue is called by your airline, even though you are fully aware that you are holding Priority Z boarding passes.
Shuffle forward and when told told you can't board yet, look shocked, shuffle back a couple of feet , keep re-examing your boarding pass, nod sadly a few times and stand where you are, being careful to avoid eye contact with any of the 130 plus passengers who have spotted what is going on and are patiently waiting in the general leper queue.
When they begin their embarkation, shuffle across and board before all the saddos who waited patiently in line. Mostly Brits, as we seem to be the only nationality who view queueing as a courtesy, not a challenge.
Then, unleash part two of your "I'm going to have a stress-free flight" plan.
Occupy a window seat and an aisle seat, pretend you are strangers by keeping your noses buried in a book/magazine/newspaper and DARE anyone to sit between you.
If that works (and it usuually does), announce to the other passengers that you are, indeed, together, by removing your lunch, neatly wrapped in pristine aluminium foil, from your perfectly-sized cabin bag.
Who do I blame? Not these peeple, who are just cleverly playing the game, but the airlines for not allocating seats.