Jet2 criticised on £6 insurance cost (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Jet2 criticised on £6 insurance cost

9:00am Tuesday 30th June 2009

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Jet2 has been criticised by a leading consumer body for flouting European Union rules by automatically adding travel insurance when travellers are booking their flights.

The Yeadon-based airline, which operates 38 routes from Leeds-Bradford Airport, has been named among three flight operators ignoring the EU legislation, introduced last November.

The ruling says: “It will not be possible to impose additional charges on passengers without their express consent (opt-in).” This opt-in includes saying yes to travel insurance.

A report from consumer magazine Which? published yesterday says Jet2 customers who are already covered by different insurance policies could be unwittingly shelling out.

When the T&A attempted to book a flight from Leeds-Bradford to Alicante, Spain, yesterday, the £6 per person insurance charge was added on automatically.

Report authors also discovered Easyjet and Monarch both automatically added travel insurance policies, costing between £7 and £10.49 per passenger.

Cancellation insurance for flights returning on the same day is added automatically by Air Berlin, costing 12 Euro (£10.50). Consumers have to untick a box to opt out.

Lorna Cowan, editor of Which? Holiday, said: “With airlines still opting people into insurance, consumers could unwittingly buy a product which is of no use to them, and at up to £10 per person this can add up.”

Jet2.com chief executive Philip Meeson said: “The fact of the matter is I don’t believe the rules do say that and I believe it’s in our customers’ interest to take up our travel insurance.

“We cover a lot of items that others don’t, such as any diversionary flights if someone becomes seriously ill.

“We make it pretty clear it’s added.”

Earlier this month, Jet2.com was given the thumbs-up for customer satisfaction in a survey of more than 30,000 members of Which? It was rated 12th out of 43 short-haul flyers for overall customer satisfaction in the survey.

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