I just booked a flight using Airmiles on Westjet and - oh my goodness, how freakin' expensive!
I was surprised that flight availability was pretty decent, but when the agent told me the "fees and taxes" I'd have to pay, my jaw dropped. They totalled to about 40% of what it would cost if I was to just buy a ticket instead!:mad:
I challenged him on it, and he claimed that (other than Airmiles' booking fee of 25 bucks, for the privilege of speaking to him on the phone) the rest were all "taxes and things like security fees". But it was far, far, far more than what you'd pay in taxes and fees if you just bought a ticket!
Frankly it all sounded quite made up. I have a hunch that a good portion of those "taxes" they charged me are actually revenue for Airmiles. It sounds like a cash grab on their part. If true, it's pretty questionable if they're claiming their own charges to be "taxes" or "fees" -- giving the impression that the charges are from gov't, etc, when they're not.
Anyone else have similar experiences with Airmiles? Are their charges legit, or are they a cash grab?
Cascadia
Aug 19, 10, 9:03 pm
I agree 100%. The taxes quoted are always much higher than what they should be.
YYC Guy
Aug 20, 10, 9:28 am
Air Miles is well marketed, but it's really not a great program. Borders on "pointless" if you'll pardon the pun. As has been posted here before, Air Miles is at their worst when you try to redeem their points for flights. Somewhat ironic given their name and branding.
The experience in a nutshell:
No internet booking. It's 2010, and they must be the only air-travel-booking-organization on the planet who has zero online booking or searching capability for customers. Archaic, and ridiculous.
What makes it even more frustrating: you therefore need to phone their call centre, which (in my experience) is typically a very long wait. Sit down and get comfortable, and prepare to enjoy on-hold music.
Then, as the OP stated, you'll have to fork out a $25 fee for the privilege of talking to them on the phone.
Book your flight (at their ever increasing points levels) and you'll then be asked to fork out major $$$, ostensibly for taxes. As the OP said though, the math doesn't add up.
Then, get ready for the insurance sales pitch. High pressure, and pushy: "Well, virtually all of our customers take the insurance" is seemingly part of their rejection-handling script that they read. This is likely why they force their customers to phone in for a flight: they make big $ off of the $25 phone-in fee, probably more from padding the taxes, and then make big $$$ off of selling insurance. (The hard core insurance sell can't take place on a web booking engine, which is probably why they've avoided going with online booking.)
I no longer go out of my way to collect Air Miles. When I do get them, I won't even try to use them for flights. Just get some retailer gift cards instead.
DanJ
Aug 20, 10, 1:24 pm
I've been racking up the mileage for a family trip to Florida. All of their taxes and fees for YYZ-FLL are almost as much as just paying for DTW-FLL, and I'd still have my 8000 miles. I can cash those in for $1000 in Rona cards to build my new backyard shed, and I'm thinking that's more value for me.
Elli
Aug 20, 10, 9:12 pm
I fully agree, the insurance is way too high, but if you don't purchase the ins. and have to cancel the flight, you lose all your air miles.
YYC Guy
Aug 21, 10, 1:56 am
I fully agree, the insurance is way too high, but if you don't purchase the ins. and have to cancel the flight, you lose all your air miles.
I don't think anybody here is complaining about the cost of the insurance. (My concern was how they sell it: overly agressive, and reeking of heavily incented tele-sales agents.)
But if we're talking trip insurance, well, IMHO, the kind of insurance that AM is peddling is a suckers bet. Insure a $20K family cruise that you book 2 years in advance and paid for in cash? Yes. But pay my hard-earned money to insure a couple thousand 'frequent shopper' points from AM? Nope, not me. I'll take my chances.
Anyhoo, the concerns raised here are about all of the other allegedly mandatory fees and taxes that AM tacks on to a reward flight, the stupidly high $ cost of getting a 'free' flight from Air Miles, and whether or not all of those charges that AM hits you with are 'legit'.
HangTen
Aug 21, 10, 1:08 pm
Air Miles is well marketed, but it's really not a great program. Borders on "pointless" if you'll pardon the pun. As has been posted here before, Air Miles is at their worst when you try to redeem their points for flights. Somewhat ironic given their name and branding.
The experience in a nutshell:
No internet booking. It's 2010, and they must be the only air-travel-booking-organization on the planet who has zero online booking or searching capability for customers. Archaic, and ridiculous.
What makes it even more frustrating: you therefore need to phone their call centre, which (in my experience) is typically a very long wait. Sit down and get comfortable, and prepare to enjoy on-hold music.
Then, as the OP stated, you'll have to fork out a $25 fee for the privilege of talking to them on the phone.
Book your flight (at their ever increasing points levels) and you'll then be asked to fork out major $$$, ostensibly for taxes. As the OP said though, the math doesn't add up.
Then, get ready for the insurance sales pitch. High pressure, and pushy: "Well, virtually all of our customers take the insurance" is seemingly part of their rejection-handling script that they read. This is likely why they force their customers to phone in for a flight: they make big $ off of the $25 phone-in fee, probably more from padding the taxes, and then make big $$$ off of selling insurance. (The hard core insurance sell can't take place on a web booking engine, which is probably why they've avoided going with online booking.)
I no longer go out of my way to collect Air Miles. When I do get them, I won't even try to use them for flights. Just get some retailer gift cards instead.
I've been trying to book flights on aeroplan.com all morning. The site has been up and down more times today than the elevator at Macy's and when it is up, it is slower than snail on valium!
:confused:
Altaflyer
Aug 21, 10, 3:43 pm
You are paying taxes AND fuel surcharges...same as on an aeroplan redemption. They don't charge the fuel surcharge (or it's included) on revenue bookings.
tcook052
Aug 21, 10, 8:35 pm
A scam? It sure wouldn't be one that lasted long as all anyone had to do would be to compare the tax ladder on their award E-ticket with what the IATA tax codes are on a paid fare.
FWIW I learned the same lesson once years ago and haven't booked another ticket since as I too order retailer GC's for gifts or splurges for myself.
robsaw
Aug 21, 10, 10:46 pm
You are paying taxes AND fuel surcharges...same as on an aeroplan redemption. They don't charge the fuel surcharge (or it's included) on revenue bookings.
Exactly. I've compared an AC Aeroplan reward booking and one using Airmiles, they are within a $ or two other than the $25 booking fee. I don't use Airmiles much, but when I do it is usually to redeem for gift cards and such.
newfbc
Aug 24, 10, 7:43 pm
Interesting to see this thread here... I recently booked a flight YVR-LAS. The taxes and fees jumped $42 from what I was quoted a couple days earlier.. I was told by the AM rep that this happens sometimes. I thought this was odd... so I did a bit of digging. All of the fees that AM charge are the same as WJ with 2 exceptions.. $25 booking fee, which we're all aware of, and a $55 NAV/INS/Fuel fee.. which is $40 more than WJ's $15 NAV fee. I asked about this, was told the $40 is for a Fuel Surcharge. I think.. hmm.. WJ doesn't have a Fuel Surcharge. So I call them up and ask if Air Miles pay them a Fuel Surcharge when they buy tickets. The WJ rep says no.. they haven't had a charge in years.. and this is just another way for AM to 'ding' you.
I've asked AM about this.. awaiting a reply.
Ron.
Altaflyer
Aug 24, 10, 9:16 pm
Unfortunately WS reps are not always in the know on such things.
tcook052
Aug 24, 10, 11:53 pm
Unfortunately WS reps are not always in the know on such things.
Agreed as well meaning and friendly as WS staff usually are and since the switch to Sabre there are more things unknown more often.
kylejaymes
Aug 26, 10, 12:04 am
:eek: I thought I was the only one who noticed this.
We booked YYC-YYJ roundtrip for two people in March, and the total came out to be only around 1900 AirMiles which is not that bad! But in total, we had to pay out over $450.00. :eek: And our flight connected through Kelowna :eek:...which was late by three hours :eek:...just not a good experience.
While we were foolish for even thinking of buying it for that much money, especially when we could have flown direct and paid that much, we were not happy with AirMiles! From now on, we just pay for our hotels by redeeming for the gift certificates.
I'll stick to Aeroplan for now!
tcook052
Aug 26, 10, 7:11 am
I'll stick to Aeroplan for now!
Yeah, their taxes, surcharges & fees are so much lower. :D
I am sure that they do not even come close to that of AirMiles for the routing I use, and their flights would at least be non-stop. ;)
newfbc
Aug 26, 10, 5:17 pm
Had a telephone conversation with a 'high up' Air Miles rep today about the West Jet Fuel surcharge 'ding'. Satisfied with the response. I've been assured that Air Miles are going to work with West Jet to let people know more about these fees before booking.
Ron.
tcook052
Aug 26, 10, 10:13 pm
I am sure that they do not even come close to that of AirMiles for the routing I use, and their flights would at least be non-stop. ;)
I am very sure they do and there is no shortage of FTers on the AC forum who would tell you as much. Those two linked threads are the mere tip of the unsatisfaction iceberg when it comes to Aeroplan and sky high surcharges & fees on AC award tix. But you're new and will find these truths to be self evident with a little bit of time and effort and FT searches.
FlyerJ
Aug 27, 10, 12:03 am
OK, to clarify, here's exactly what I got and what I paid.
For those who say Aeroplan's just as bad, that does not appear to be the case!
I also booked an Aeroplan reward seat a few days ago, and what a difference. (Both redemptions were done this month, so the time frame is the same.) Details also below.
Air Miles redemption: YYC-YYZ (Westjet)
Points redeemed: 3300 Air Miles
$ payment req'd for reward flight: $203.86
Cost to buy the companion ticket on same itinerary (all in): $553.51
Award flight cost as % of full purchase cost: 37%
Wait time on phone (on hold) to book my reward flight: about an hour!!
Aeroplan redemption: YYC-PHX (AC/US)
Points redeemed: 25000 Aeroplan pts
$ payment req'd for reward flight: $57.51 (agent waived the Aeroplan phone booking fee because of a problem booking my itinerary online)
Cost to buy the companion ticket (all in) on same itinerary: C$452.87
Award flight cost as % of full purchase cost: 13%
Wait time on phone (on hold) to book my reward flight: zero -- my call was answered on the second ring (after about a minute going through a voice prompt menu). (I've been Aeroplan Basic for a few years -- this was the regular phone line. From my experience, it's not the norm for the Aeroplan call center -- but I'll happliy take it!)
No mention at all of any fuel surcharge in any of these bookings (neither the paid nor points bookings on either trip) in the price breakdowns.
Bottom line:
Airmiles charged me $200 in fees/taxes on a domestic flight that's worth $550. That's 37% of cost of rev ticket. Paying $200+ is hardly a "reward" -- instead, it sounds more like cashing in my 3300 miles just got me the ability to buy a discounted "seat sale" ticket from them.
Aeroplan charged me $50 in fees/taxes on a cross-border flight that's worth $450. Paid 13% of cost of rev ticket. Pretty decent. I'd actually categorize that as a "reward" ticket!
So I ask my question again: are Airmiles fees/charges truly legit?? Or are they just out to lunch with what they make their customers pay in addition to the points we have to redeem?
And I have to admit that I'm totally confused by the "fuel surcharge" discussion here -- Westjet doesn't charge one if you buy a ticket, but they do charge one to Airmiles when they buy a ticket?
tcook052
Aug 27, 10, 11:26 am
Aeroplan redemption: YYC-PHX (AC/US)
Was this award ticket on the US nonstop YYC-PHX? When you say AC/US what was your routing? The reason I ask if historically AC's *A partners have always had much lower award taxes & fees, including fuel surcharges as was noted in this post, (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11340528-post17.html) than redeeming on AC itself due to the different corporate divisions that were created when AC spun off AP.
I'd be curious to see the side-by-side example for an AM & AP award domestically, then transborder and international on matching routes to get a better look at the comparisons asn while I appreciate your experience it's not quite comparing apples to apples, at least not IMHO.
Great White North
Aug 30, 10, 12:21 pm
This is part of the reason I've given up on using Air Miles for flights. Instead, I've been using them for hotel stays getting much more value per air mile.
Elli
Aug 30, 10, 9:09 pm
This is part of the reason I've given up on using Air Miles for flights. Instead, I've been using them for hotel stays getting much more value per air mile.
For which hotels are you using Air Miles? TIA
YYC Guy
Aug 31, 10, 3:44 pm
You are paying taxes AND fuel surcharges...same as on an aeroplan redemption. They don't charge the fuel surcharge (or it's included) on revenue bookings.
Had a telephone conversation with a 'high up' Air Miles rep today about the West Jet Fuel surcharge 'ding'. Satisfied with the response. I've been assured that Air Miles are going to work with West Jet to let people know more about these fees before booking.
I still just don't get how this can be a "fuel surcharge" -- but maybe it's just me?!
1. Westjet doesn't charge a "fuel surcharge". If I understand correctly, others here say that Westjet does have a "fuel surcharge", but you never see it because they've rolled it in to their base airfare. Which, methinks, means it's not a "surcharge". It's just plain ol' "airfare". If they're now designating some hidden part of their base fare as a fuel component, well, that's just a shell game.
2. What you and I have to pay out in $ to Air Miles is ultimately Air Miles' decision. Period. They can't blame the airline. Air Miles / Loyalty Group buys a huge volume of tickets from Westjet, and then "resells" them to us when we cash in our points. Who determines which fees/taxes/surcharges/tithes/etc Air Miles will in turn make their customers pay? Air Miles. And only Air Miles. It's entirely up to them.
Some programs (the "SPG Flights" program, for example) choose to charge $0 in fees/taxes/surcharges/etc on those exact same flights. Others, though I don't know if they exist, could feasibly choose to charge their customers even more for redemptions on Westjet flights. It's 100% up to the program operator.
For Air Miles to say, "ehhhh, sorry about that highway robbery thing, but it's really Westjet's fault thanks to their high fuel surcharge" is - again - nothing but a shell game.
Now imagine if you were cashing in your Marriott, Hilton or Starwood points for a reward stay. When checking out - after happily redeeming your points and feeling like a valued member of a loyalty program - you get hit with a $75 bill . . . $5 for an elevator fee, $6.40 for a ventilation charge, $10 for a "toilet paper and plumbing surcharge", $30 for housekeeping, plus a $1 vacuum bag surcharge, and on and on and on. Sound ridiculous? Well, it's exactly what Air Miles does to its customers on their flight redemptions! (Some here have suggested that Aeroplan does the same thing to people depending on the route. That doesn't make it right, and I'll leave that up to the Air Canada forum to debate.) And thankfully Air Miles doesn't (yet) ding their collectors like that for AM hotel stays.
(And did I mention it seems all too much like a shell game?)
robsaw
Aug 31, 10, 4:02 pm
I still just don't get how this can be a "fuel surcharge" -- but maybe it's just me?!
1. Westjet doesn't charge a "fuel surcharge". If I understand correctly, others here say that Westjet does have a "fuel surcharge", but you never see it because they've rolled it in to their base airfare. Which, methinks, means it's not a "surcharge". It's just plain ol' "airfare". If they're now designating some hidden part of their base fare as a fuel component, well, that's just a shell game.
2. What you and I have to pay out in $ to Air Miles is ultimately Air Miles' decision. Period. They can't blame the airline. Air Miles / Loyalty Group buys a huge volume of tickets from Westjet, and then "resells" them to us when we cash in our points. Who determines which fees/taxes/surcharges/tithes/etc Air Miles will in turn make their customers pay? Air Miles. And only Air Miles. It's entirely up to them.
Wrong.
1. AC and Westjet both charge a Fuel Surcharge on North American "award" tickets on their metal. An AC flight can be on a partner airline, in which case, no fuel surcharge. It is buried in the retail fare but is still there. Yes, it is a shell game.
2. Airmiles can only legally charge their $25 fee over-and-above what they pass-on in flow through in fees and taxes. To do otherwise would be fraud, plain and simple.
YYC Guy
Aug 31, 10, 4:37 pm
Wrong.
1. AC and Westjet both charge a Fuel Surcharge on North American "award" tickets on their metal. An AC flight can be on a partner airline, in which case, no fuel surcharge. It is buried in the retail fare but is still there. Yes, it is a shell game.
It's buried in the retail fare? Then, as I tried to point out, it is not by definition a "sur"charge.
If something's charged on top of the retail fare, it's a surcharge. If it's IN the retail fare, then it's, well, it IS the retail fare.
Ultimately if you agree that it's a numbers shell game, then I think you must agree with my basic premise (and therefore can't call me "Wrong"! :p )
2. Airmiles can only legally charge their $25 fee over-and-above what they pass-on in flow through in fees and taxes. To do otherwise would be fraud, plain and simple.
First of all, a "flow through" would be, by definition, a defined cost paid to an outside party, where the exact sum goes to that party (not Air Miles, not Westjet) for a specified item. That could legitimately be an AIF, or a customs inspection user fee. "Fuel surcharge", though, is airline revenue -- pure and simple. It's not paid directly to Shell or Esso. It's not a flow through.
Ultimately, though, I think you misunderstood me. Air Miles does not "have" to pass on any tax or surcharge to their end customer. Flow-through or not. That's entirely their choice. And they've chosen to ding their customers hard. They don't have to charge a $25 service fee. That also is entirely their choice. They don't have to charge you separately for AIFs, or customs fees, or "fuel". Everything that they require their customer to pay is their choice -- nobody else's. If I book a flight using RBC Avion points, I pay $0 out of pocket. That's RBC's choice. If I book a flight on SPG Flights, I pay $0 out of pocket. That's Starwood's choice. If I book a flight on Air Miles, I need a to get a second mortgage. That's Air Mile's choice.
As for more than a $25 charge being legally constituted as "fraud", I'm not sure what legal basis that has. They could choose to charge a $1000 service fee on every booking if they wanted. But that would probably take them well past the "tipping point" (which arguably they're teetering on right now).
But while we're on the topic of fraud-like activity, part of my dislike of Air Miles stems from an incident a few years ago. I was cashing in my Air Miles for a flight. After picking the flight, the agent (quite quickly) told me, "The total charge for your fees, taxes and insurance will be $X. What credit card do you want to use?", where X was an even-more-massive-than-normal sum. And we hadn't even discussed travel insurance. She was simply trying to get me to give her my credit card number and take their insurance unknowingly. I called her on it. She stammered - seemed quite surprised that I caught her - and then eventually lowered my price to just the fees/taxes, sans insurance. I haven't trusted them since.
tcook052
Aug 31, 10, 10:29 pm
But while we're on the topic of fraud-like activity, part of my dislike of Air Miles stems from an incident a few years ago. I was cashing in my Air Miles for a flight. After picking the flight, the agent (quite quickly) told me, "The total charge for your fees, taxes and insurance will be $X. What credit card do you want to use?", where X was an even-more-massive-than-normal sum. And we hadn't even discussed travel insurance. She was simply trying to get me to give her my credit card number and take their insurance unknowingly. I called her on it. She stammered - seemed quite surprised that I caught her - and then eventually lowered my price to just the fees/taxes, sans insurance. I haven't trusted them since.
FWIW the negative option, as it's called, is not "fraud-like activity". You were able to decline the optional insurance and in fact did so the more correct term should IMHO be caveat emptor, let the buyer beware.
YYC Guy
Sep 1, 10, 9:25 am
FWIW the negative option, as it's called, is not "fraud-like activity". You were able to decline the optional insurance and in fact did so the more correct term should IMHO be caveat emptor, let the buyer beware.
Negative option selling? Fraud-like activity? You say tomat-oe, I say tomat-oh.
No, of course it's not "fraud". But it is a very sleazy way for Air Miles to try to sell travel insurance to their customers (or for anybody to sell anything, for that matter).
(In my case, the travel insurance wasn't presented to me as an "option". Nor was it even discussed at all. Rather, the Air Miles rep just wanted to get my credit card number as quickly as possible. It certainly felt like she was trying to swindle me into buying something without my knowledge or true consent.)
Just one more reason, IMHO, that Air Miles is awful, awful, awful for flight redemptions.
Spex
Sep 1, 10, 10:48 am
Wow, reading this thread is like experiencing a bad case of deja-vu
I redeemed some airmiles for a YOW-YVR return flight on WS and when all the taxes/fees/insurance was included, I ended up paying about 50% of what it would have cost me had I paid cash for the tickets. First and last time I use airmiles for airfaire.
So, I guess the consensus is that gift cards are the way to go with airmiles? What about hotels?
(sorry if the last part is off topic)
tcook052
Sep 1, 10, 12:51 pm
Negative option selling? Fraud-like activity? You say tomat-oe, I say tomat-oh.
No, of course it's not "fraud". But it is a very sleazy way for Air Miles to try to sell travel insurance to their customers (or for anybody to sell anything, for that matter).
(In my case, the travel insurance wasn't presented to me as an "option". Nor was it even discussed at all. Rather, the Air Miles rep just wanted to get my credit card number as quickly as possible. It certainly felt like she was trying to swindle me into buying something without my knowledge or true consent.)
Just one more reason, IMHO, that Air Miles is awful, awful, awful for flight redemptions.
If it isn't fraud or anything close then why use that particular F word? FWIW I've redeemed for air tickets and in my case was given the cost of the optional insurance and the hardsell but declined it at that point while agent was building my file and it was not presented as your was.
I use my AM account for gift cards exclusively nowadays regardless of whether they're actually the best value as its what works for me. Of course YMMV. :)
FlyerJ
Sep 12, 10, 2:37 am
Well, I guess it's nice to know that I'm not the only one feels like they were hosed by the nice people at Airmiles.
If I understand all of the replies to my post here, (a) yes, I was charged an exorbitant, ridiculous amount of money for "fees and taxes" by Airmiles, but (b) that's just how Airmiles operates, and by some fluke of airfare-structure-accounting, they're perfectly within their rights to charge me what they did. So definitely "my bad" for using Air Miles for a "reward" flight, which I will NEVER do again.
As one reply here said, caveat emptor - let the buyer beware.
On a related note, I have far less motivation to buy gas at Shell with my BMO credit card on my way to buy groceries at Safeway...
YVR Cockroach
Sep 16, 10, 1:43 pm
Years and years ago, someone on another Canadian consumer forum put it that it was more like collecting AirYards, AirFeet or even AirInches. And the fees and mileage requirements weren't so high back then.
robsaw
Sep 22, 10, 5:33 pm
It's buried in the retail fare? Then, as I tried to point out, it is not by definition a "sur"charge.
If something's charged on top of the retail fare, it's a surcharge. If it's IN the retail fare, then it's, well, it IS the retail fare.
Ultimately if you agree that it's a numbers shell game, then I think you must agree with my basic premise (and therefore can't call me "Wrong"! :p )
First of all, a "flow through" would be, by definition, a defined cost paid to an outside party, where the exact sum goes to that party (not Air Miles, not Westjet) for a specified item. That could legitimately be an AIF, or a customs inspection user fee. "Fuel surcharge", though, is airline revenue -- pure and simple. It's not paid directly to Shell or Esso. It's not a flow through.
Ultimately, though, I think you misunderstood me. Air Miles does not "have" to pass on any tax or surcharge to their end customer. Flow-through or not. That's entirely their choice. And they've chosen to ding their customers hard. They don't have to charge a $25 service fee. That also is entirely their choice. They don't have to charge you separately for AIFs, or customs fees, or "fuel". Everything that they require their customer to pay is their choice -- nobody else's. If I book a flight using RBC Avion points, I pay $0 out of pocket. That's RBC's choice. If I book a flight on SPG Flights, I pay $0 out of pocket. That's Starwood's choice. If I book a flight on Air Miles, I need a to get a second mortgage. That's Air Mile's choice.
As for more than a $25 charge being legally constituted as "fraud", I'm not sure what legal basis that has. They could choose to charge a $1000 service fee on every booking if they wanted. But that would probably take them well past the "tipping point" (which arguably they're teetering on right now).
I'm just trying to explain how it works not whether it is ethical. It is a shell game, and it is a fuel surcharge, and it is a "fee" that gets passed-through on award tickets on both Aeroplan and AirMiles. Don't shoot the messenger; direct your consumer complaint to the Airlines and whatever responsible gov't agency.
It is a flow through from the perspective of Air Miles, it is a fee not covered by what they pay in the "award" amount - but that, of course, is how they've contractually arranged it with Air Canada and Westjet.
Yes, you are right - what AirMiles charges for an award, including any fees/taxes COULD be included in the award miles amount if they contractually arranged it with the airlines. However, we all know that businesses are in business to make a profit and any cost must be made up by a positive increase in revenue to retain the same amount of profitability. So, end result is that many more miles would be required for an award if there was zero net cost to the customer. So, while it is a shell game, there is little net financial benefit to ending it for the customer.
Oh, and I never said anything magic about $25 and fraud; $25 just happens to be the basic amount of the booking fee AirMiles charges - anything beyond that IS a flow-through (regardless if you like my definition or not).
IC6A
Oct 3, 10, 3:42 am
You poor people in canada. But I am afraid that Uk is going the same direction. It seems Canadian airlines are less regulated and can charge whatever they can get away with.
Thank goodness at this moment in UK Airmiles programme. We can only redeem BA flights with Airmiles. But all the charges are included in the Airmiles price. So we only need to pay by Airmiles and nothing else. I hope the way would be kept.
tcook052
Oct 6, 10, 10:57 pm
It seems Canadian airlines are less regulated and can charge whatever they can get away with.
Nonsense. Canadians airlines are regulated heavily however it's not the airlines and their charges that are the subject of this thread, it's the redemptions made through reward programs.
obsyow
Oct 7, 10, 7:57 am
I don't redeem Airmiles very often but it has always worked for me. This example:
Booked for YOW-ORD mid-November (late planning this one)
Airmiles:
CHARGE DETAILS
AIR MILES WITHDRAWN.................................862
US APHIS USER FEE..................................5.21
CANADA AIR SECURITY CHARGE........................12.10
PASSENGER FACILITY CHARGES.........................4.68
HST ON TICKET TAXES AND FEE........................1.95
GST ON TICKET TAXES AND FEE........................1.36
US TRANSPORTATION TAX.............................33.52
AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT FEE-AIF.......................15.00
NAV CANADA FUEL AND SECURITY SURCHARGE...........15.00
US SECURITY FEE....................................2.60
US FEDERAL INSPECTION FEE..........................7.29
AIR MILES ADMINISTRATION FEE......................30.00
GST ON AIR MILES ADMINISTRATION FEE................1.50
TAXES/SERVICE CHARGES AND ADMIN FEE SUBTOTAL.....130.21
INSURANCE SUBTOTAL.................................0.00
TOTAL CASH SALE..................................130.21
Phone was answered in less than 2 minutes (agent said it was because I punched in my AM number, and am at the gold level). AM had lots of availability on AA non-stop. Best price otherwise was Porter with 20% off via YTZ. Subtracting the $130 off Porter's best price leaves $352 or 41 cents per airmile, with no connection.
For 15,000, Aeroplan only offered through YYZ (25,000 for the n/s on UA metal) and their fees were $179. Aeroplan fees were only $82. on the UA n/s but we've all heard that story before.
tracon
Oct 7, 10, 12:35 pm
I've redeemed air miles for several flights recently. Redemtion value of between $.15-$.25/air mile. Surprising, but much better value than toasters or gift cards.
FlyerAl
Oct 16, 10, 3:02 pm
AirMiles is a joke that's not even worth the effort in trying to maximize. I use it if I happen to be at a merchant that participates in the program (like LCBO, Shell, Boston Pizza), but I won't go out of my way to earn them. Metro is generally a more expensive supermarket and I'll only buy something there if they have a good sale on the item or a VERY good bonus offer. Rexall Pharma Plus is a crappy store compared to Shoppers Drug Mart. I only redeem the miles for GCs. I figure it's better than nothing.
You're better off shopping at merchants that have the best deal (Wal-Mart, Food Basics/FreshCo/No Frills, Costco, etc) and paying with a good rewards credit card.
obsyow
Oct 18, 10, 1:12 pm
On-line booking certainly making redemptions easier:
YOW-IND May 20 - 23
862 airmiles plus $117.93 in fees.
Best price on Kayak - $646 (and no significant discounts for earlier dates). Subtract the $118 in fees works out to 61 cents/mile. Not a joke to me!