Tax is killing the passengers - its a disgrace, what can we do?

moonrakerz

Actually, half the problem with the taxes is not that we have to pay them, but in the way that the airlines show them in the booking process.

I recently booked some seats to Spain on Flybe - just revisited their site and picked out a date in Dec to see how the fare was advertised.

"Only £33.19" - but when you start the booking process the figure (in fairly small characters) suddenly becomes £64.97 (including taxes & surcharges) add to this the "fee" for your baggage, etc and the £33.19 fare becomes around £75.

I then tried the BA site, their flight (same day) was shown as £43 inc all taxes & surcharges. Further down the page it stated that the taxes, etc totalled £39-30, making the cost of the flight £3.70.

Personally, I think the way that the budget airlines advertise their fares stinks, it is very misleading and the fare you end up paying bears absolutely no resemblance to the "fare" you started off with. But they way they do it allows them to blame "the taxes" for increasing the price - and traps the unwary, BA being by far the cheapest on this (random) day I used.

But you have to say both fares are still very good value for money !

going2die_rich

moonrakerz wrote: »

...and of course for wealthy people !

The wealthy don't need such exclusions, they can afford to pay. Thats just life.

Just like the wealthy would really love it if the cost of driving was to double over night. They'd then have the roads to themselves. It's just the way of the world, after all, they have (or their family) made that money so why should the penalised for it more than others, just because others can't reach that status.

Voyager2002

I agree that taxes (paid to governments) are too low, and that many airlines are dishonest in they way they impose "taxes and charges" as a single figure, the bulk of which is kept by their airline.

Another interesting point from the OP is that "free" flights paid for using Miles are often a real rip-off. While the airline does not charge any cash for the "fare", it still imposes its charges, and these add up to the bulk of the revenue it makes from each passenger.

mad_rich

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Another interesting point from the OP is that "free" flights paid for using Miles are often a real rip-off. While the airline does not charge any cash for the "fare", it still imposes its charges, and these add up to the bulk of the revenue it makes from each passenger.

In the old days, flights paid for with miles were good value. The airline made sure they were only available for a seat which would otherwise go unsold. Then they could carry the (grateful) passenger for the tiny marginal cost of one extra passenger (a teensy weensy bit more fuel, cost of a meal, a couple of passenger handling charges here and there which they passed on to the passenger).

When Duty Free was ended within the EU, airports started charging extra to make up for the lost revenue. Then Gordon waded in with his greasy mitts. The killer was when the fuel surcharge came in. £5 became £10, £15 and so on. And airlines saw an opportunity: reduce the fares to a pittance and whack up the fuel surcharge. Total fares were climbing slowly but the cost of redeeming miles was climbing faster than a 747 aborting a landing. The result: massively devalued miles.

They're still worth something, but you have to work hard to get the best value now.

I

dmg24

Andy_L wrote: »

The passenger service charge is the amount the airport charges the airline for using their airport. It's not a government charge.

Don't let that get in the way of another pointless rant!

mad_rich

mad_rich wrote: »

Tax: US September 11th Security Fee $2.50

PS: I've no idea what this fee actually buys me, who charges it, or whether there was an equivalent fee before 9/11.

I suspect it is called the 'September 11th Security Fee' so that anyone who questions it is immediately strung up for being unpatriotic. "It's for security, Sir. Please move along."

Andy_L

Sorry, what was I thinking

Diamond_Olly

Just to add, in the trade we only get commission from airlines on the fare itself - so if the fare is £68 and tax is £250 (genuine fare quoted this morning for client going MAN-DXB) - we only get paid on the £68 element and I can tell you - that ain't much!