Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School investigated over 'drip pricing'
Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Warm-up
- Have you ever seen extra fees added at the end of a booking?
- What information do you expect to see before you pay online?
- Which services in your country feel the most transparent to you?
Vocabulary
- watchdog
- an official group that checks if companies follow the rules
- upfront
- shown at the beginning, before you decide to buy
- mandatory
- required by rules and not optional
- headline
- the main number first shown to customers, such as a price
- compensate
- to pay someone back for a loss or problem
- transparency
- clear and open information that is easy to see and understand
- resort
- a holiday place where extra local fees may be charged
- refund
- money given back to a customer who paid before
Reading
The UK consumer watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), is investigating Trainline, Virgin Atlantic Holidays and RED Driving School for possible drip pricing. The CMA says this practice hides mandatory fees until late in a booking, so the headline price is not the true upfront cost. That may mislead customers and reduce transparency.
For Trainline, the CMA observed fees of up to £2.79 added to train fares, and up to £1.50 on coach bookings. For Virgin Atlantic Holidays, it is checking whether mandatory resort fees and local taxes were shown upfront, as these charges can reach hundreds of pounds. For RED Driving School, the CMA is looking at booking and digital fees, which it says could be more than £7 per lesson.
If the firms broke the law, the regulator can fine them or order them to compensate customers. The companies say they are committed to transparency and will cooperate. Earlier this year, the CMA ordered two other driving schools to refund more than 80,000 customers for not showing the total price during online booking. Since last year, the CMA has had new powers to rule on breaches without going to court.
Comprehension
- Who is investigating the three companies?
- What does drip pricing mean in this story?
- What extra fees did the CMA observe at Trainline?
- Which costs are being checked for Virgin Atlantic Holidays?
- What did the CMA order other driving schools to do earlier this year?
Grammar focus
Modals for present deduction
Use may/might/could/must to say how likely something is now. Use must for a strong conclusion; may/might/could for weaker possibilities. (Example 2 constructed.)
- That may mislead customers and reduce transparency.
- These extra charges may mislead shoppers.
Grammar exercise
Complete each sentence with the correct modal form.
- The site shows fees at checkout, so customers (be) ___.
- No fees show on page one, so extras (be) ___.
- Receipts show added charges, so the firm (add) ___.
- Many complaints exist, so booking sites (use) ___.
- The regulator sees a pattern, so firms (break) ___.
Discussion
- Should regulators fine firms for hidden fees, or warn them first?
- What fees must always appear upfront on booking websites?
- Have you ever asked for a refund because of extra charges?
- How can companies improve transparency in online bookings?
Vocabulary, reading, and exercises with instant feedback