Virgin seeks to reassure flyers over charges

Virgin Atlantic has stated that it believes its passengers have not been overcharged as a result of fuel surcharge fixing between the airline and British Airways.

Coming after British Airways also said yesterday that its customers had not been overcharged, Paul Charles, director of corporate communications for Virgin Atlantic, told BBC Radio 4's The World At One show that its passengers have not been unfairly charged.

"I think we can reassure customers that they have not been overcharged. They have not paid higher total ticket prices as a result of what took place since 2004," he commented.

However, some customers in the USA have begun class action against the airline, Mr Charles admitted.

Yesterday, British Airways confirmed that it had been fined in the region of £270 million by the Office of Fair Trading and the American department of justice over fuel surcharge fixing practices taking place between August 2004 and January 2006.

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