Emirates Skywards - EK Fuel Surcharge (new from Apr 18, 2011)

Dear all,

EK is following the bad habit of most of its competitors and is introducing a fuel surcharge for all bookings after April 18, 2011. Bummer!

The surcharge does not apply to redemption bookings, though. The surcharge will appear in the GDS on April 18 at 8 pm Dubai time. Bookings made before that deadline remain free from the surcharge if they are ticketed by April 30 latest. Also, any existing tickets can be used without paying the surcharge as long as at least the first segment has been flown by April 18.

Please see the level of the new fees below (for departures from Dubai).

Best,

CalFlyer


Dear Travel Trade Partner,

Kindly note that due to the rising fuel price Emirates will be introducing Fuel Surcharge for Sale and Travel effective 18 Apr 2011.

This will be applied in the form of Q surcharge in the fare ladder (breakdown), details of which have been mentioned in the class-wise zonal matrix below. A PDF file on FAQs has also been attached herewith for easy reference.

DESTINATION Economy First & Business
OW RT OW RT
GCC (BAH/DOH/MCT), Middle East and Iran, 40 80 130 260
South Asian Subcontinent
Africa, Europe, Far East and Australia/New Zealand 80 160 320 640
Americas 150 300 520 1040

You are kindly requested to inform your respective clients of the same.

We take this opportunity of thanking you for your continuous support and cooperation to Emirates.

Best regards
EK UAE Sales

It's a Q surcharge rather than a YQ surcharge which means that its transparent to the customer (other than higher fare) but affects the commissionable portion of the fare to the Travel Agent.

No need for the :td:.

It's a Q surcharge rather than a YQ surcharge which means that its transparent to the customer (other than higher fare) but affects the commissionable portion of the fare to the Travel Agent.

No need for the :td:.

Don't understand what you mean. The passenger will need to pay the fuel surcharge on top of the current fare, so the price of travelling comes up.

I don't like this either. I prefer that airlines adjust the pricing by making changes to fares they file with the various GDS rather than toy around with pricing by way of surcharges like this.

Don't understand what you mean. The passenger will need to pay the fuel surcharge on top of the current fare, so the price of travelling comes up.

The price of Jet Fuel has gone up by almost 50% this year. Of course prices NEED to go up!

I don't like this either. I prefer that airlines adjust the pricing by making changes to fares they file with the various GDS rather than toy around with pricing by way of surcharges like this.

A Q charge or a price rise has zero real impact to the customer though. The prices shown will still be inclusive and it doesn't start creating a "tax" that applies to redemption bookings. If they had followed the lead of BA / QF and some others and made it apply on awards, then it would be dismal

The price of Jet Fuel has gone up by almost 50% this year. Of course prices NEED to go up!

That can be done by increasing the base fires filed with the GDS.

A Q charge or a price rise has zero real impact to the customer though.

Is there zero real impact for a customer for all such circumstances when an incompetent TA is part of the picture and/or when the TA wants to direct the business airline's way even as there are cheaper alternatives available? Would a customer asking such a TA to show on the screen that the fare being sold to them is the lowest fare be able to end up misleading the customer due to such circumstances? If so, then the price rise in this form is something beside "zero real impact" for the customer.

That the charge doesn't apply to EK flights on EK award tickets is the best aspect of this, but then this kind of charge didn't apply to the EK award tickets for EK operated flights before this either. Things could always be worse, of course.

Is there zero real impact for a customer for all such circumstances when an incompetent TA is part of the picture and/or when the TA wants to direct the business airline's way even as there are cheaper alternatives available? Would a customer asking such a TA to show on the screen that the fare being sold to them is the lowest fare be able to end up misleading the customer due to such circumstances? If so, then the price rise in this form is something beside "zero real impact" for the customer.


Here , at least, Travel Agents are required to give prices inclusive of taxes so whether the price is increased ot a Q componant is used, then there is no difference

Here , at least, Travel Agents are required to give prices inclusive of taxes so whether the price is increased ot a Q componant is used, then there is no difference

That is unfortunately not necessarily the practice when stopping in at TAs in the country which has the most cities served by EK of all the countries served by EK.

That can be done by increasing the base fires filed with the GDS.

a) You don't file fares with the GDS systems - you file fares with ATPCO and/or SITA and the GDS systems download them from there.

b) That is exactly what they are doing. A Q-surcharge reflects as a flat increase in the quoted fare, exactly the same as if you raised the base fare. The only difference is that the Q-surcharge portion of the fare now is not eligible for TA commissions.

With all due respect, this is completely invisible to the consumer so your comments that "you prefer" it are irrelevant. It has just as much validity as if you said you prefer fares filed by typing with your left foot.

a) You don't file fares with the GDS systems - you file fares with ATPCO and/or SITA and the GDS systems download them from there.

b) That is exactly what they are doing. A Q-surcharge reflects as a flat increase in the quoted fare, exactly the same as if you raised the base fare. The only difference is that the Q-surcharge portion of the fare now is not eligible for TA commissions.

With all due respect, this is completely invisible to the consumer so your comments that "you prefer" it are irrelevant. It has just as much validity as if you said you prefer fares filed by typing with your left foot.

Well I would prefer fares typed in with MY left foot as i could then set them as low as possible .... innit :p

..

b) That is exactly what they are doing. A Q-surcharge reflects as a flat increase in the quoted fare, exactly the same as if you raised the base fare. The only difference is that the Q-surcharge portion of the fare now is not eligible for TA commissions.

With all due respect, this is completely invisible to the consumer so your comments that "you prefer" it are irrelevant. It has just as much validity as if you said you prefer fares filed by typing with your left foot.

TA commissions??? I don't think that has happened in a long while..

So now EK has joined the masses in the fees.. ! Bummer.

It won't take long time for these to creep in for award tickets as well.

:td: i flew to kuala lumpur in feb this year and paid £590 went to book for next january or february and emirates prices are coming in at £755,
now thats abit of a difference? so JUST:confused: HOW MUCH was this fuel surcharge??

Are they running out of oil in UAE? LGW-DXB-DOH was £425 now its £489!

Are they running out of oil in UAE? LGW-DXB-DOH was £425 now its £489!

Emirates does not get its aviation fuel at prices significantly different from other global airlines...just FYI

QUOTE=usud;16245445]Thanks for the info but FYI they (UAE) got all the money![/QUOTE]

:confused: so whats that got to do with the fuel surcharge?

QUOTE=usud;16245445]Thanks for the info but FYI they (UAE) got all the money!

:confused: so whats that got to do with the fuel surcharge?[/QUOTE]

Eithad of (AUH) Abu Dhabi did not put the prices up?:confused:
Or QR or GF? or many other airlines?

But at EK they think different about it and think that they start to charge fuel surcharge due to global oil price increase?

The oil comes from them, they sell it, then they buy it and the money back to them!

:confused: so whats that got to do with the fuel surcharge?

Eithad of (AUH) Abu Dhabi did not put the prices up?:confused:
Or QR or GF? or many other airlines?

But at EK they think different about it and think that they start to charge fuel surcharge due to global oil price increase?

The oil comes from them, they sell it, then they buy it and the money back to them![/QUOTE]

Dubai has no oil, and unlike Abu Dhabi and Qatar, not much money left either. The Emirates Group contributes over 20% of the non oil revenue of the state, so even small gains from the group account for a fairly large portion of GDP. In the financial crisis that they still aren't completely out of, they need all the money they can get.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/emirates-airline-scraps-fuel-surcharge-as-oil-price-falls--398395.html

Thats for once a really quick reaction. I understand airlines need to charge when fuel prices really go up, and when they immediately "uncharge" when prices drop under some level I will see the surcharge with a bit more friendly view

For once, ^ to Emirates

Very impressive to see an airline have the honesty to remove the surcharge as the fuel price drops rather than just wanting to keep it

Just noticed that the fuel surcharge has been removed on my upcoming ACC-DXB-IST trip, but the base fare has been increased by the same amount to compensate. Total cost stays the same ($40 higher than before the fuel surcharge was instituted).

Very slick marketing move to appear to back down on the fuel surcharge but in reality simply raise the fares. :rolleyes:

Just noticed that the fuel surcharge has been removed on my upcoming ACC-DXB-IST trip, but the base fare has been increased by the same amount to compensate. Total cost stays the same ($40 higher than before the fuel surcharge was instituted).

Very slick marketing move to appear to back down on the fuel surcharge but in reality simply raise the fares. :rolleyes:

Step 1: Make all fares higher, get lots of press for the "necessary fuel surcharge"

Step 2: Start silently replacing flex fares with saver fares, halving miles earned, doubling difficulty of achieving silver/gold, and increasing price of upgrades

Step 3: Solidify fare changes (silently). Cancel fuel surcharge (very publicly). Get lots of press for "doing the right thing"

Step 4: PROFIT

Just noticed that the fuel surcharge has been removed on my upcoming ACC-DXB-IST trip, but the base fare has been increased by the same amount to compensate. Total cost stays the same ($40 higher than before the fuel surcharge was instituted).

Very slick marketing move to appear to back down on the fuel surcharge but in reality simply raise the fares. :rolleyes:

Different experience to me. My next flight (ticketed last week) is approx £50 UK cheaper today than when I booked.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/emirates-airline-scraps-fuel-surcharge-as-oil-price-falls--398395.html

Thanks goodness!!! They dropped the fuel surcharges. I'm glad to see everyone is back to normal. I don't like the creeps to spent high costs of the fuels. That's ridiculous!

If it's true, they've earned back a small bit of respect.

If it's true, they've earned back a small bit of respect.

apologies didnt see this thread - confirmed today from EK I believe.

Just noticed that the fuel surcharge has been removed on my upcoming ACC-DXB-IST trip, but the base fare has been increased by the same amount to compensate. Total cost stays the same ($40 higher than before the fuel surcharge was instituted).

Very slick marketing move to appear to back down on the fuel surcharge but in reality simply raise the fares. :rolleyes:

IMHO this is as airline should do it. Raise/lower the fares and not to tag fake YQ's.

Well i been looking at some tickets for a few months now and prices have not changed. They have remained the same for a good few months either side of the dates that i was looking at. Only in the last few weeks has all the air fares gone up. I am getting about 80GBP more expensive per ticket. Coincidence? I think not.