Class-action lawsuits against several airlines launched by North Vancouver law firm Poyner Baxter this year likely wont be affected by recently-announced changes to the way airlines are allowed to advertise their fares.
On Friday, the federal government announced it will bring in new regulations in 2012 forcing airlines to list the full cost of airline tickets including extra fees, surcharges and taxes in their ads.
The move comes four years after the passage of the Canada Transportation Act, which essentially paved the way for the new rules and passed in June 2007.
Since then, consumer groups have complained about the delay in putting new advertising rules into practice.
It likely wont be until the end of next year, however, that the changes are obvious to consumers after the government finishes consulting with the airlines.
Lawyer Jim Poyner, who has launched lawsuits against several airlines for misleading travellers about the nature of fees added to their ticket price, said its unlikely the new rules will change anything for his clients.
While the class action suits targeted added fees, Poyner said the cases have focused mainly on the airline practice of calling the additional charges taxes implying the money was going to government or a third party while in many cases the airlines just kept them.
We say what they were doing was misleading and deceptive, said Poyner.
Cases still before the courts include those against British Airways, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, Delta Airlines and Japan Airlines.
The federal government said Friday changes to the way fares are advertised will result in greater transparency for consumers in the future.
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