Consumer group Which? has found that 70% of airlines, train firms and ferry companies use costly phone numbers for people to ring them.

The EU Consumer Rights Directive requires the UK to ensure that customer helplines charge no more than the basic rate, but passenger transport services are allowed to be excluded.

In the next few weeks Jet2 will be dropping its premium rate numbers for a freephone number for bookings and no more than the "national rate" for general enquiries. We wait to see whether the latter is actually a geographic rate number, beginning 01, 02 or 03.

Travel firms are slammed for charging the earth when customers complain - Mirror

Ministers urged to act as seven in ten travel firms hit public with premium rate rip-off phone lines - Telegraph

Let's see if they fall for any of the "0844 numbers are local rate" or "0845 numbers are local rate" mis-selling that pervades the non-geographic numbers industry.

Aren't travel firms excluded from the requirements of the EU Consumer Rights Directive?

loddon wrote on Oct 11^th, 2013 at 6:39am:

Aren't travel firms excluded from the requirements of the EU Consumer Rights Directive?

It is a little complex.

The "basic rate" telephone number provisions apply to "package holiday and time-share" firms through a separate Directive covering many particular requirements for that sector alone. It is suggested that it would make sense to implement this common provision at the same time as it is being applied to others under the general Consumer Rights Directive.

The Consumer Rights Directive includes the option for member states to exempt "passenger transport" from certain provisions, including that for the "basic rate" telephone number. By default, our government will take advantage of any opportunity to apply exemptions permitted by EU Directives. This is on the implied assumption that we are only implementing the provisions of EU Directives reluctantly, and wish to give no considerations to the merits of potential regulations coming from this source. Despite a public consultation and time for consideration, BIS published draft regulations applying the exemption, however it says that it is open to comments and may change this decision.

The Which? news release covers evidence that it will be presenting in its comments - for which the window closes today.

Listen out for coverage of the Consumer Rights Directive provisions on BBC Radio 4 Money Box at 12:00 today.