COMPETITION AND TOURIST PROTECTION 277 circumscribing the questions about compensation for any damages caused. The issued remarks on the subject of luggage apply. On one hand, actions by the Competition Authority have defended consumers, but on the other hand, the order of the market in the face of many conflicts comes to establish that the only possible solution is of both administrative and aggregate nature, since the Italian judicial system cannot bear the weight of endless disputes on small amounts of money. 4. ONLINE PURCHASE OF AIRLINE OR MARITIME TICKETS A major Turkish airline adopted an incorrect practice when offering an online ticketing service, which forced the Competition Authority52 to open a preliminary investigation and determine the alleged violation of Art. 20, second paragraph, 21, first paragraph, lett. d), 22 and 26, lett. f ) of the Consumer Code. In particular, the preliminary action focuses on: the company’s failure to indicate an item in the fee for the flights advertised on the website, with an additional fee added to the overall rate right before the traveller makes payment; the diffusion of misleading information regarding the alleged gratuity of “online check-in”, reserved only for flights departing from some airports, and the request for payment for a service that is not provided. This was the check-in at the airport; a fee was always claimed for the service, even when the activity had not taken place, i.e. if the traveller had used online check-in. For the company, information on the tariff was not designed to mislead, nor was it suitable for achieving unfair advantages. In regard to the alleged futility of “online check-in”, the company has specifically referred to an offer addressed to a restricted consumers’ category – to those with particular prerogatives interested in flights departing from airports that offer online and computer-based check-in and similar services. These consumers were credited “travel points” when they checked-in online before boarding. These acquired points were not converted into money, but would have accumulated towards a reduction in the fees for subsequent flights. Finally, the fee applied for the check-in at the airport was always due and, therefore, it was charged even when the traveller had opted for online check-in; the fee would allegedly cover the fixed costs related to the use of 52 the provision of the Italian Competition Authority of 20 December 2017, no. 26914, in Boll., 8 January 2018, no. 51.
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