No more hidden charges when purchasing air ticket from June 1

KUALA LUMPUR: Soon travellers purchasing airline tickets will not have to deal with the unwelcome surprise of hidden charges now that the Malaysian Aviation Commission has amended the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 (MACPC).

The updated MACPC now requires airlines to publish the final price of the airfare in advertising and promotion materials and at points of sale.

Airlines must disclose the prices after adding other charges, such as government-imposed tax and fees, fees prescribed by the law and fuel surcharge.

This eliminates hidden charges like administrative fees and card payment charges.

Charges for optional services, such as baggage, seats and meals, should also be displayed and included in the final price at point of payment.

This will be enforced starting June 1.

The new rules also call for refunds on flight tickets for passengers who cannot make their flights within 30 days of a request being made, even for a ticket purchased through a travel agent.

The refund must include passenger service charges, plus other taxes, charges and fees.

If a ticket is non-refundable, passengers are allowed to get a refund on the airport tax and airlines are permitted to charge a maximum of 5% processing fee.

Airport operators are also required to clearly display MACPC for reference, and airlines are required to inform passengers of their rights in every medium possible.

Full amendments to the code can be found on the legislation page on www.mavcom.my.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar said the amendments would further enhance and protect consumers' travel rights.

"Since its implementation, Mavcom has obtained much feedback from consumers and the amendments are the result of such feedback," he said.

To further help consumers understand their rights, Mavcom also launched the FlySmart platform to help them better understand their rights.

The platform enables travellers to file their complaints and track the status of their complaints via a mobile app or on its website www.flysmart.my.

The platform also aims to empower consumers by featuring success stories of those who were able to exercise their rights with the help of the commission.