Major UK Tour Operator Nixes Fuel Surcharge

Thomson, one of Britain’s largest tour operators, announced last week it is no longer billing customers for fuel supplement charges.

The move, which could save customers up to $60 per person on trips, comes on the heels of harsh criticism from U.K. organizations over lack of transparency in travel package pricing, local newspaper The Guardian reported.

The Association of British Travel Agents and the Trading Standards Institute, a consumer watchdog group, last week came down on the travel industry for obscuring the cost of services by offering packages that did not include mandatory charges, such as fuel surcharges.

“Our decision to end fuel supplement charges will mean that our customers will clearly see the full cost of their holiday,” Peter Rothwell, Thomson’s managing director, said in a statement. “Travel companies now have no justification whatsoever for charging a fuel supplement. At Thomson we believe in honest pricing.”