Expect the cheapest advertised airfares to triple in price next week as proposed government legislation prompts airlines to ditch the dreaded asterisk and fold taxes and charges back into headline prices.

The move means a Jetstar one-way special between Adelaide and Hobart, now advertised as a $19 fare with an asterisk pointing to taxes and charges of $46, would be advertised at its full cost of $65.

And the headline price of international airfares will rise $200-$300 to more accurately reflect their drain on travellers' pockets.

The push to axe the asterisk comes after the federal Government accepted arguments by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and consumer groups that relegating taxes and charges to the fine print made it harder to compare prices.

Treasurer Peter Costello announced the Government would amend the Trade Practices Act in what he described as an "an excellent outcome for consumers".

The amendment will also apply to other industries that use component pricing, such as car and computer manufacturers, requiring them to prominently display a single-price figure that includes all costs to the consumer.

The proposed legislation prompted Qantas to announce on Friday that it would change its airfare and package holiday advertisements from May 11.

Virgin Blue, which campaigned strongly against "confusing and misleading" component pricing, said it would make the change from May 10.

Virgin chief executive Brett Godfrey said the move back to all-inclusive pricing was a victory for common sense and fairness.

"People want to know that the advertised amount is what they are going to pay and not get any nasty surprises when they get to the end," Mr Godfrey said.

"Travellers shouldn't have to get out their binoculars to read the fine print and calculators to work out the total price of their flight."

Qantas spearheaded the widespread return to airline component pricing late last year after two court cases threw into doubt an ACCC ruling on the issue.

Virgin labelled the Qantas move as lamentable but said it was forced to follow suit so its advertising was not at a competitive disadvantage.

The decision made airfares seem cheaper but meant advertised base fares could understate the actual cost of a flight by as much as $350.

Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti said yesterday his airline led the first move towards all-inclusive pricing, but abandoned the practice after other international carriers and some travel agents failed to adopt it.

"Having heard what the Treasurer said during the week, we agree with him and we want to be the first to move again," Mr Borghetti said.

"This is not just an issue for the airline industry but also industry in general."

Mr Borghetti said he was hopeful the legislation would mean all players in the travel industry would adopt all-inclusive pricing.