Hidden fees may lie behind discounts offered on plane tickets and hotel bookings sold online. Can consumers claim compensation for such hidden charges imposed by online sellers? How can they protect their lawful rights and interests? Judge Li Wenchao of the Beijing Internet Court (BIC) was interviewed on Eyes On, a program on China Central Television's Channel 13, to explain cases involving plane tickets bundled with hidden value-added services.

"Discount" turns into higher payment

A consumer named Wang bought a plane ticket through on an online ticketing platform. At the time of purchase, the platform page showed a base airfare of 280 yuan ($39.76), plus 70 yuan in airport construction and fuel surcharges, with a platform discount of 40 yuan, resulting in a total payment of 310 yuan.

After receiving the ticket information, Wang verified it through the airline's official app and found that the total price was only 300 yuan. Wang filed a complaint with the platform. Although the platform refunded 10 yuan the following day, Wang believed that the platform's conduct constituted fraud and sued it with the BIC, requesting a refund of the full ticket price of 310 yuan and triple compensation totaling 930 yuan.

The platform explained that the additional 10 yuan was for a bundled take-out voucher and that the product purchased was a combination of a plane ticket and a value-added service, equivalent to purchasing two services. Wang argued, that the billing details clearly showed no indication of any bundled voucher or added-value service.

Platform ordered to refund and pay triple compensation

The court held that based on the notice issued by the Civil Aviation Administration concerning commission fees for domestic air passenger transport sales agents, sales agents may not charge any additional fees beyond the ticket price, tamper with ticket prices or applicable conditions published by aviation enterprises, or engage bundled sales that infringe on the rights and interests of consumers and aviation enterprises.

Li said that the ticketing platform failed to inform the consumer in advance that the 10 yuan take-out voucher. Moreover, by displaying a "40-yuan instant discount" on the ordering page, the platform misled the consumer into believing that purchasing through the platform was more favorable than purchasing through the airline's official channels, thereby inducing the transaction.

The court found that the online platform misled the consumer by setting a fake price and discount to sell tickets, constituting fraud, and ruled in favor of the consumer's claim for a refund and triple compensation.

The judge reminded them that the online platform operators are obligated to provide clear and conspicuous notices on the purchase interface and to set selectable options for value-added services. If a platform fails to explain the composition and purpose of the payment amount, it constitutes deliberate concealment of the true circumstances and amounts to fraud. Likewise, if a platform advertises a discount but actually raises the price, such conduct also constitutes fraud. In such cases, the platform must refund the purchase ticket price and bear liability for triple compensation.

Tips to avoid online booking traps

The judge gave three points of advice to consumers to avoid this trap.

First, check carefully before purchasing. Consumers should review order details to see whether value-added service such as insurance, hotel voucher or transportation voucher are pre-selected by default, and cancel unnecessary options. Facing discounts, consumers should compare prices with official airlines channels to avoid monetary traps.

Second, preserve evidence. Consumers should promptly save screenshots of orders, communication records with customer service and official price listings from airlines.

Third, protect rights through proper channels. If negotiation fails, consumers may file complain with the 12315 hotline, a hotline for handling consumer complaints and reports, or relevant regulators, or file a lawsuit in the court.