BAA is target of advertising complaint over pricing

Nicole Mezzasalma

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Advertising authority ASA claims airport operator misled travellers over retail prices

Airport operator BAA has been the subject of a complaint upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that it had misled millions of customers about prices at shops and bars in its terminals. The company was forced to withdraw leaflets claiming that food and drink sold at its airports matched high street prices after the advertising watchdog found that products bought in the terminals were substantially more expensive.

BAA told ASA that its contracts with retailers demand price parity with local high street outlets. However, the advertising authority found that some retailers, in particular WH Smith and JD Wetherspoon, charged central London prices—where rent is the highest in the UK—at London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Stansted airports.  

ASA’s ruling said: “We considered that customers would see the claims ‘matched with the UK high street, so you won’t pay a penny more than you’re used to’ and ‘committed to matching their high street equivalents’ as a reference to prices on their local high street or high streets near to the airports. We concluded the claims were misleading.”

In response to the ASA ruling BAA issued a statement that said: “We have a series of rigorous procedures which we apply to ensure compliance including spot checking. We recognise, after this single complaint, that confusion may have been caused and will of course comply with this ruling to ensure that all our customer communications offer greater clarity in the future.”