Airlines will have to publish the full price details of a flight on publication of the fare, if a new report adopted by the European Parliament yesterday becomes law later this year.
The report argues that air passengers must be treated like other consumers and says they have a right to full information on the price they will finally have to pay.
It is designed to tackle misleading advertising and states that all air fares published in any form and addressed "directly or indirectly" to the public must include all applicable taxes, fees and charges that are known at the time of publication of the fare.
This relates to charges that are for the benefit of the airlines or the airport operators, which often significantly increase prices because they are added just before the ticket purchase.
The report specifically refers to online booking because this is sometimes the only way of booking flights with low-cost airlines.
It also argues that consumers have the right to know how high security charges are and what they are used for. It says that where airport or on-board security costs are included in the price of a ticket, these charges should be shown separately on the ticket or otherwise made known to the passenger.
The amendments were proposed by the parliament's Transport and Tourism Committee and included in a report by Lithuanian MEP Arunas Degutis on common rules for the operation of air transport services in the community.
The report will now be viewed by the Council of Ministers, who could make changes to it and send it back to the parliament for a second reading. It will become law when an agreement is reached between the two institutions.
Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins, a member of the Transport Committee, welcomed the report, saying that the publishing of "deceptive air fares" meant that passengers were paying much more than they thought they would be.
"The tactic of publishing headline-grabbing fares, sometimes as low as one cent, and then dramatically hiking the price by adding extra costs, is deliberately misleading and should be brought to an end," he said.
"This report ensures that the consumer will be given the full price of the flight up front, inclusive of all applicable taxes, non-avoidable charges, surcharges and fees. It ensures that consumers are armed with clear and full information on the price they finally pay, allowing them to make the best choice when choosing the flights."
Fianna Fail MEP Seán Ó Neachtain, also a member of the committee, said he would welcome any changes which bring about a greater level of price transparency for consumers buying air tickets.
"Consumers have a right to know exactly the breakdown in the cost of the ticket that they are purchasing," he said. "These are sensible proposals that need to be introduced in as short a timeframe as possible."
The measures are part of a reform of aviation law intended to update 15-year-old rules dealing with issues such as operating licences, leasing of aircraft and price transparency.