Govt issues directives to ensure fair airfares

The Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry has issued a circular mandating airlines and travel agencies to ensure transparency in airfare pricing, aiming to protect passengers from overcharging and facilitate fair ticket sales.

The directive, issued Tuesday by the ministry's CA-2 branch and signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Rumana Yasmin, outlines several measures to ensure that travellers reach their destinations at the actual fare.

Key directives

According to the circular, all ticket bookings - including group reservations - must include the passenger's name, passport number, and a photocopy of the passport. If a ticket is not issued within three days of booking, airlines will automatically cancel it.

The circular also instructed that tickets blocked under group bookings before 11 February have to be confirmed within seven days with completing passenger details. Failure to do so will result in automatic cancellation within the following three days.

Transparent pricing and online sales

The circular emphasized transparent pricing, mandating airlines and travel agencies to sell all tickets online with the fare clearly displayed on both the website and the ticket itself.

All group ticket sales must be reported to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, which will publish the pricing information on its website for public awareness.

Airlines and travel agencies are strictly prohibited from selling tickets at prices higher than those submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).

They must also comply with the "Tariff Filing" requirements under Rule 289 of the Civil Aviation Rules, 1984, and the approved tariff must be published on CAAB's website.

Accountability and consumer protection

The circular instructs travel agencies to provide passengers with tickets showing the official price from the airline and to issue a receipt for the sale.

In an effort to curb price manipulation, the ministry warned that agencies found stockpiling tickets or selling them through unauthorized channels would face penalties.

Under Rule 15 of the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Control) Rules, 2022, the registration of such agencies could be suspended or cancelled.

Special airfare for migrant workers:

The directive also mandated airlines and travel agencies to provide special fares for migrant workers travelling on work visas.

It instructed Biman Bangladesh Airlines, other airlines, and the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR) to take necessary measures within seven days to reduce ticket prices for expatriate workers, particularly those travelling to the Middle East and Malaysia.

Ban on unregistered agencies:

To ensure fair competition and consumer safety, the ministry prohibited ticket sales through unregistered travel agencies under the Bangladesh Travel Agency (Registration and Control) Act, 2013.

The government's move aims to safeguard consumer rights, maintain market transparency, and ensure affordable travel for migrant workers.