Fuel charge on plane ticket

Loonyed

About 3 weeks ago my friends and I booked a holiday in Turkey for a week and was told how much to pay. So we paid up for the holiday up-front which is booked for September '08.

Now today we get a letter from the travel company that we now have to pay a fuel charge cause oil has gone up etc etc etc :rolleyes:

If I remember correctly this charge on fuel for airfares only just came in last week or at max 2 weeks ago...yet...when we booked the holidasy it was not with-in the time that this new lark had been made a point that u had to pay for.

So where do we stand with this as in the letter it says if we want to cancel we then have to pay a cancelation fee or we have to pay the extra fuel charge and thats that.

Cheers Loon

withabix

You have to pay I'm afraid.

It's a scam that IATA allow the airlines to run.

Name and shame the airline please.

Funnily enough, when the fuel price drops (if it ever does again), they won't make them give customers some money back if the full surcharge is not required...

kazwookie

Pay up.

I am half expecting the same sort of letter, for a trip I booked in March that I am going on in December, so I am saving now, but I don't really know how much to say, I have about £80 to one side at the moment.

donny_osmonds_mad_fan

it isnt always about when you book it is more about when you are travelling, the goldtrail issued one which went something along the lines of, on the 22nd may they issued a fuel surcharge, abta say anyone travelling before the 23rd june wont have to pay anyone after that will do...basically if you were travelling within the month you wouldnt have to pay, however looks like as you are not going till september you will do I am afraid. It was most likely in the terms and conditions that fuel prices may change due to increase in vat or war or whatever....unfortunately it is some airlines and some providers and it is us travel agents who get it in the neck

BenL

The holiday companies can also request extra money off you if the exchange rate moves against their favour.

The Euro has been dropping making holidays more expensive. The holiday companies don't pay for the hotel until close to your arrival so the difference between when you book and when they pay either comes from their profits or your pocket.

Crabman

I've noticed a couple of these threads - it's simply not fair on the customer.

You should be able to cancel without penalty and take your business elsewhere. It's a joke if your only real options are

1) pay the extra charges

2) cancel but incur a cancellation fee

Which travel agency/company is it?

donny_osmonds_mad_fan

at the end of the day it is not the agencys fault, it is the provider who in turn would charge the agency for cancelling down the holiday etc and after all these are all in the terms and conditions when people book, it should not be a shock.