The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has issued a formal warning to budget airline EasyJet regarding what it deems a "misleading" pricing claim on the carrier's website. The controversy centres on a tab within EasyJet's 'fees and charges' section that prominently suggested passengers could secure a large cabin bag 'from £5.99'. This claim has been challenged as potentially deceptive to consumers.
Investigation and Consumer Complaint
The complaint was initiated by the respected consumer protection group, Which?. Their investigation scrutinised 520 different flight routes and dates, discovering that not a single booking offered a large cabin bag at the advertised £5.99 starting price. The research revealed the average cost was substantially higher at £30, with the lowest observed price being £23.49. This significant discrepancy prompted the formal grievance to the advertising regulator.
EasyJet's Defence and ASA's Ruling
In its defence, EasyJet maintained that large cabin bags could indeed be purchased from £5.99, attributing price variations to factors like availability, demand, and operational costs. The airline clarified that the tab was intended purely to inform customers of a theoretical starting price and was not connected to any specific promotional sale event.
However, the ASA found this justification insufficient. The regulator stated it had "not seen sufficient evidence" that the £5.99 price was achievable across a meaningful range of flights. "Whilst we acknowledged easyJet's assurance that large cabin bags could be purchased for £5.99, we considered that alone was insufficient to substantiate the 'from' pricing claim," the ASA concluded in its ruling. The watchdog emphasised that such 'from' claims must reflect availability at the advertised price for a significant proportion of flight options.
Regulatory Directive and Airline Response
The ASA has directed EasyJet to ensure future 'from' price claims for large cabin bags are substantiated by widespread availability at the advertised rate. In response to the adjudication, an EasyJet spokesperson stated: "We always aim to provide clear information to our customers on pricing, and the purpose of this page was to display factual information on fees and charges to customers. We always have some large cabin bags available for the lowest price. In light of the ASA's feedback we have made some changes to the page to ensure the information is as clear as possible for consumers."
This case underscores the ongoing scrutiny of pricing transparency within the aviation sector and serves as a reminder of the ASA's role in upholding advertising standards to protect consumer interests.
