Traveldecorum’s paid-for search listing for a return flight to Tel Aviv, seen on 23 February, was displayed within a list of Google flight search results along with the company’s logo and text reading "book with Traveldecorum... £440".
It was accompanied by a "continue" link through to the ad and a booking page, featuring full booking details for the flight with a section entitled "price details". These stated: “1x Adult £489.31 Discount £-50.00 Total £439.31 All prices (including taxes & fees) are quoted in GBP."
However, when the complainant to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) booked the flight, they were subsequently told the price stated in the ad was no longer available and that they would have to pay an additional £50 to secure the booking.
In its response to the ASA case, Traveldecorum said it used third-party API services to book flights, with prices checked twice before the consumer books and makes payment, while reiterating flight pricing is dynamic and subject to frequent changes.
In this particular case, it said a real-time seat availability issue resulted in a price discrepancy, which led to the booking being made at a loss whereby it was declined by the airline. In its defence, Traveldecorum provided evidence of an alternative booking for the same route on a different date at a lower price than advertised.
Complaint upheld
The ASA nonetheless upheld the complaint, stating consumers would interpret the the pricing as per the ad and that £439.31 would be the total price they pay.
"After the complainant had completed the booking by making the full payment and received written confirmation, they were informed that the price of the flight had increased, and they would need to pay an additional £50 to maintain the booking," said the ASA.
"While we understood that flight prices available through third parties were liable to fluctuate, advertisers were nevertheless responsible for ensuring that stated prices were genuine and did not mislead."
The ASA said because the flight was not available at the price quoted, it had concluded the price claim was misleading. Traveldecorum has been told the ad must not appear again in its current form, and that it must ensure all future price claims "are based on genuine prices available to consumers".
