In message , at 20:47:29 on Mon, 23 Jan
2012, John Levine remarked:
Airline prices are quoted with tax because there is an FTC rule that says they have
to do that. They decided, quite reasonably, that quoting the price without the tax
is misleading.

The rule isn't quite that simple, they're apparently allowed to quote the fake price
so long as the real price is in tiny print nearby.

Which is presumably why my flight to the USA last summer was quoted as
(all the same font size):

Price 491.00
Taxes and fees 291.30
Total 782.30

plus £4 "Service Charge".
--
Roland Perry