$1000 fuel surcharge??
Oct 20, 2012, 9:07 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 20
$1000 fuel surcharge??
So being a loyal air Canada flyer and elite Aeroplan member, I never knew about this and have never seen it come up before. I have used a few miles here band there to fly between yyz and multiple US destinations before but now have finally save up the required 250,000 points for my partner and I to take a nice vacation to Phuket, Thailand. I was looking online last night at flight options and when looking at pricing was appalled to see an egregious $987 fuel surcharge! What is this? With taxes and airport fees etc, the "free 125,000 mile ticket" came to over $1,200 each!
Can someone please clarify why they are hosing us for this ridiculous charge on a free Aeroplan ticket. While I have always understood the taxes and landing fees etc, this is just nuts. I could buy us tickets in economy for only $300.00 more. The craziest part was that even when pricing an economy ticket the fuel surcharge was still the same! I knew I should have switched over to United Plus a long time ago. What a mistake.
Can someone please clarify why they are hosing us for this ridiculous charge on a free Aeroplan ticket. While I have always understood the taxes and landing fees etc, this is just nuts. I could buy us tickets in economy for only $300.00 more. The craziest part was that even when pricing an economy ticket the fuel surcharge was still the same! I knew I should have switched over to United Plus a long time ago. What a mistake.
Oct 20, 2012, 9:13 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: YXU, ON Canada
Programs: AC LT E50K; AC*MM; SPG LT Gold
Posts: 4,665
Welcome to FT. What you are looking at is what is referred to as a "scamcharge" around here, because it doesn't really seem to have much to do with fuel. AC collects this fee, as do several *A partners. It is possible to avoid most of the charge by taking non-AC flights, like UA. There is a listing of these airlines in a couple of recent threads.
Oct 20, 2012, 9:19 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,305
Welcome to FT.
Welcome to the world of Air Canada scamcharges™
In addition, the website prioritizes routings that are subject to these Air Canada scamcharges™, so you really need to work hard to get the ones that are not subject to them, and then call in and pay $33.90 to get your ticket.
And yes, you should have switched a long time ago. That indeed was a big mistake.
Welcome to the world of Air Canada scamcharges™
In addition, the website prioritizes routings that are subject to these Air Canada scamcharges™, so you really need to work hard to get the ones that are not subject to them, and then call in and pay $33.90 to get your ticket.
And yes, you should have switched a long time ago. That indeed was a big mistake.
Oct 20, 2012, 9:26 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 20
Thanks for the reply. 2 segments of the trip were actually on Thai airways, with the only air Canada segment being from yyz-lhr. How can I maybe book with united etc to get around this? I am not a cheap person by any means but just knowing how much I have spent on flights in the last 2 years flying with air canada when I could have taken nicer carriers for the oversees trips, to accumulate 250,000 points, is such a slap in the face to basically pay for a whole ticket to Europe etc.
Oct 20, 2012, 9:32 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,305
yes, Air Canada also collects and keeps those surcharges on Thai segments.
You need to put together a route yourself, either using United.com, or ANA tool. You are looking for the blue (saver) inventory on United.com.
Keep in mind, United is much more flexible with routings than Aeroplan, so you also need to validate the route MPM5. Also, United does not display SQ business.
After you've done your homework, and put together a route using non-scamchargeable airlines (search for the list - just search scamcharges in this forum), then you call in, and spoonfeed the agent all the flights you found.
For a trip to Thailand, your best bet is using UA,TK,US,MS,SK,LX,SQ,CA and some other smaller ones. OZ's scamcharge is not too bad.
Avoid AC,LH,OS,NH,TG,OZ,LO
You need to put together a route yourself, either using United.com, or ANA tool. You are looking for the blue (saver) inventory on United.com.
Keep in mind, United is much more flexible with routings than Aeroplan, so you also need to validate the route MPM5. Also, United does not display SQ business.
After you've done your homework, and put together a route using non-scamchargeable airlines (search for the list - just search scamcharges in this forum), then you call in, and spoonfeed the agent all the flights you found.
For a trip to Thailand, your best bet is using UA,TK,US,MS,SK,LX,SQ,CA and some other smaller ones. OZ's scamcharge is not too bad.
Avoid AC,LH,OS,NH,TG,OZ,LO
Oct 20, 2012, 9:42 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 20
Wow a bit ridiculous but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do for lack of a better term. If I call in and spoon feed them the routes, their should still only be a charge of 125 for biz or 75 for economy, or will they charge me per segment? Thanks so much for your help on this! Much appreciated!
Oct 20, 2012, 9:49 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,305
Oct 20, 2012, 9:49 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 20
Leave march 27 return April 8. Hoping to extend the layover in Bangkok for 3 nights but at this point I don't even know if I want to dive into trying that. Such a frustrating experience. Seems like they basically want you to waste your miles flying Canada/us routes only.
Oct 20, 2012, 9:53 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,305
Leave march 27 return April 8. Hoping to extend the layover in Bangkok for 3 nights but at this point I don't even know if I want to dive into trying that. Such a frustrating experience. Seems like they basically want you to waste your miles flying Canada/us routes only.
3/27
YYZ-IAD-PEK-BKK (UA/CA business) arrive 3/28
BKK-HKT at your convenience
4/8
HKT-PEK-ORD-YYZ (CA/UA business except ORD-YYZ) arrive home 4/8
or HKT-ICN-ORD-YYZ (OZ/UA - small scamcharge here)
total taxes would be no more than $200 (only scamcharge for BKK-HKT, and thats small)
Oct 20, 2012, 9:58 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,305
This is unreal - YYZ-IAD-PEK-BKK on UA/CA doesnt even show up on Aeroplan.com!!!!! Not only are they de-prioritizing non-scamchargeable flights - but they are outright NOT SHOWING THEM!