Airlines can charge transaction fee

Mumbai: The civil aviation ministry has decided to allow airlines to charge transaction fee but has insisted that the amount should be part of the airfare and not outside it.
In his order last week civil aviation secretary K N Srivastava ruled that the terms - transaction fee, commission, convenience fee all mean the same which is  payment of remuneration to intermediary.
The order further said all these forms of fees are permissible provided these are shown as a part of the fares and no amount is collected from consumers over and above this.
The  order will also allow airlines to follow  dual pricing (differential fares) "Price differential  can exist between a ticket purchased directly from an airline counter or their website or through its website and through an intermediary,'' the civil aviation secretary  order said.
Read NJews In Full 25/09/13 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard