Airline Charges Rip-off

boombap

I've just got back from a trip away and used Ryanair for the first time. I too used to bad mouth the company but I'm truly a convert now!

I flew down to London from Manchester with BMI about a month ago and was a bid miffed on flybmi.com - the only way to avoid paying a credit/debit card fee was if you have a BMI Mastercard which I don't but I do have a BMI AmEx...I thought that was a bit cheeky!

Squee

DCFC79

alanrowell wrote: »

Easyjet charge extra for baggage and use of CCs & DCs as well as for extras like priority boarding. Other airlines charge for checking in at the airport. BA charges for use of a CC when booking so the headline price does not reflect the final price in any case.

You CAN get the headline prices the airlines offer - but you need to know the rules which these days are fairly consistent these days and boil down to

a) Hand luggage only
b) Use an Electron Card
c) Check in online

With those 3 simple rules you do get the prices that are quoted and thus that's why this is a moneysaving website and not a "moaning about avoidable fees" website.


By using airlines with these rules YOU are saving money as you don't pay for the extras that you don't need - like a checked luggage allowance

you may also be able to save money by booking online (with flybe) rather than using the phone, this has been done to death about the charges etc being added onto the price of tickets

alanrowell

dexterlevi wrote: »

Recently found similar rip off fee with Air Berlin. They have recently added a 10 euro booking fee, PER PERSON.Did,nt charge last last year when I booked. Would be interested in what's changed for them to add this onto the final bill.

Well Ryanair's is per person PER FLIGHT - ie 2 fees for a return flight.

As to why they are doing it - have you seen the price of fuel recently?

dexterlevi

Contary to what budgetflyer thinks I have been awake for the past 18 months. I am fully aware that the cost of fuel has rocketed, hence I understand why I am charged a surcharge for fuel. Have no issue with that. What I do have an issue with is being charged per person to book my flight.I suppose it will be acceptable to some if supermarkets charged us to go through the checkout next as a service charge on top of the cost of your shopping.Same thing realy but just as outragous.Anyway back to land of nod for the next 18 months to see what further shocks are ahead when I wake up in 2010.

ynot2005

squee wrote: »

I've just got back from a trip away and used Ryanair for the first time. I too used to bad mouth the company but I'm truly a convert now!

I flew down to London from Manchester with BMI about a month ago and was a bid miffed on flybmi.com - the only way to avoid paying a credit/debit card fee was if you have a BMI Mastercard which I don't but I do have a BMI AmEx...I thought that was a bit cheeky!

Squee

glad to hear it squee, i bet you didnt see any cabin crew asleep, or the disabled being treated disgustingly, or you were on a dirty plane, or you were treated like dirt, (except of course for the queue/scrum which is compulsory), or rude cabin crew, infact when you have done ryanair umpteen times you will know how good they really are.

just be aware if you have a problem then you may to think for yourself and be prepared for ryanair not really caring because they belive a £10 flight does not include a level of support that a full service airline wil give for 10-20 times the cost of a ryanair flight

real1314

If a company refers to a debit card fee, shouldn't that fee relate to the impact the debit card transaction and any costs associated to that particular transaction have?
It is fairly clear that Ryanair are using debit card fees as a form of booking fee by any other name and simply using the availability of free transactions for the relativelty rare electron card as a get out clause.

If you spend £30 on adebit card the fee isn't different if you've bought 1 item for £30 or 4 items for £7.50, but for some reason ryanair treat it differently.

If they called it a booking fee, they wouldn't be able to advertise the price without the fee being included.

It's not a "rip-off" but it is clearly misleading price advertising imho.

discoinferno_99

squee wrote: »

I flew down to London from Manchester with BMI about a month ago and was a bid miffed on flybmi.com - the only way to avoid paying a credit/debit card fee was if you have a BMI Mastercard which I don't but I do have a BMI AmEx...I thought that was a bit cheeky!

Squee

That is an long-standing IT issue (of which bmi have many) that still hasn't been resolved. The bmi Amex should be treated the same as a bmi Mastercard. If you call their refunds department they will refund you the credit card fee. Might be more effort than it is worth, but there is a principle involved...