Booking with Virgin Atlantic with Tesco Mastercard

reclusive46

Hi,
I'm trying to book some virgin Alantic flights but they want to charge me 58gbp for using a credit card. Can I avoid these fees some how and what would happen if I selected debit MasterCard?

lee1985

Credit cards will always incur charges with tour operators.

Debit cards are often charged for too, especially in recent times before a law comes into play which will stop them from doing so.

Sometimes, you can bypass all these charges by using a pre-paid credit card - it should tell you on the booking page or the terms and conditions what charges you will incur for using each particular type of card.

SG_Guy

Just book for the same flights on expedia where there is no charge for paying by credit card.
You don't want to pay for flights on a debit card because you don't get the protection that paying by credit card gives you.

Roger1

lee1985 wrote: »

Credit cards will always incur charges with tour operators.

True, though reclusive46 says they are booking flights.

Virgin Atlantic are particularly bad at surcharging. While most airlines charge a fixed fee (and some no fee), IIRC Virgin Atlantic charge 2.5% of the entire cost, making buying direct from them potentially very expensive.

SG_Guy is right. Buy the flights elsewhere and don't use a debit card unless you have to.

lee1985

Roger1 wrote: »

True, though reclusive46 says they are booking flights.

Virgin Atlantic are particularly bad at surcharging. While most airlines charge a fixed fee (and some no fee), IIRC Virgin Atlantic charge 2.5% of the entire cost, making buying direct from them potentially very expensive.

SG_Guy is right. Buy the flights elsewhere and don't use a debit card unless you have to.

I don't book flights or package holidays myself, but I can't wait for the day when it becomes the law that people cannot be charged for using debit cards. As you know the regulators already strongly advise this but the airline operators are taking no notice and the only way is when they will be able to legally enforce their rules. It is fair - people are using their own hard earned cash and giving it away to the companies in question for pure profit 'just because they can'.