Italian anti-trust authority AGCM said Thursday that it had opened talks with the European Commission over the need for greater transparency in relation to "sky-high" airfares after conducting an investigation into pricing algorithms in passenger air transport on routes to and from Sicily and Sardinia.
    "The Authority has opened talks with the European Commission on the adoption of initiatives within its remit aimed at increasing the comparability of airfares and thus improving competition in the relevant markets," AGCM said in a statement.
    "Feedback on the Report from stakeholders, along with subsequent analysis, continues to point to poor comparability in the way flight ticket and ancillary service prices are displayed to users.
    "This lack of comparability complicates flight searches for customers and limits their awareness of price components when making purchasing decisions, as the actual price of airline tickets is difficult to determine and compare.
    "The significance of price comparability lies in the fact that almost half of air passengers purchase ancillary services, particularly seat selection, carry-on baggage and checked baggage.
    "Moreover, these services account for a considerable share of the revenues generated by airlines.
    "This is why, in order to foster demand mobility and, as a result, promote price-based competition among companies, the Authority considers it crucial to adopt mechanisms that enable full and effective price comparability, including for ancillary service fees".

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