This thread will be moved to budget travel and consolidated with all the others on this same fare sale.
There is some discussion that the $299 advert falls foul of regulations concerning advertising of airfares. Per regulations, the total price including fuel surcharges and taxes also has to be listed in addition to the 'low lead in fare', and in many cases for this promotion it has not.
"taxes and fees that are assessed on an ad valorem basis, such as the 7.5%
federal excise tax, must be included in the advertised fare. Any air carrier-imposed surcharges,
such as “fuel surcharges” and “insurance surcharges,” also must be included in the advertised
fare. In addition, for travel packages that include air transportation, any taxes and fees that are
not government-imposed on a per-person basis also must be included (i.e., taxes assessed on
hotel rooms and rental cars, as well as hotel “linen charges” and “energy charges”)."
source: Department of Transportation Advertising Regulations
(November 2008)
By advertising it for $299, then having a separate fuel surcharge, this is a clear breach.