Low cost airline flybe claims the air fare section of the index is flawed and that the figure should have been even lower.Travel costs were blamed for a full one per cent of yesterday’s 3.8% figure, leading to suggestions that the airlines were not passing on the subsidies agreed by the Airport Task Force to keep fares down.The vice president of Finance and Economics – who headed the Task Force – has also expressed serious concern that the figures ‘do not reflect reality’.Senator Philip Ozouf said: ‘I have asked the airlines to comment and I have asked the Statistics Unit to comment because I was very surprised.
The figures do not bear out my personal travelling experience.
This is a very serious matter because of the impact that the RPI has on so many elements of Island life and the economy.’The Statistics Unit of Policy and Resources calculate the figures using fares which are used within two weeks of booking, but flybe claim that most travellers book well in advance of their travel dates to secure lower fares.
