Flight Centre's 'lowest fares' slogan investigated

The Commerce Commission is investigating Flight Centre's advertising slogan that promises "Lowest Airfares Guaranteed".

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission yesterday ordered the Australian arm of the travel agency to ditch the slogan because of concerns that it was misleading customers.

The Commerce Commission's director of fair trading, Deborah Battell, confirmed it was investigating similar issues here but said the inquiry was not a consequence of the Australian findings.

No further details of the commission's investigation were available.

Flight Centre has removed the slogan from its Australian website and replaced it with a "price beat guarantee", which says: "Bring us a competitor's airfare and if it's available we will beat it".

The slogan had also gone from the travel agency's New Zealand website late last night and been replaced with the same "price beat guarantee".

An Australian commission's survey of airfares found Flight Centre was not able to meet the "lowest airfares guaranteed" promise.

It also raised concerns about Flight Centre's claims to use its "global buying power" to get better deals for customers.

- NZPA