...and his snarky laugh as he says, "U didn't really believe that we would let U fly for free, didja?" implying that those who did believe are gullible!
From 1991 till now I have enjoyed many free airline tix & hotel rooms. But on April 1, DL is inventing nasty new fees & raising existing fees (see DL thread.)
Call center fees, Aeroplan fuel surcharges, fees for changing dates, rush fees (Yeah right! When was the last time they FedEx'ed U a paper ticket??)
I'm glad I switched my main emphasis from miles to earning hotel points in 2000.
BakerStreet
Mar 31, 08, 5:32 am
They'll be charging for seat-belt use soon
GrizShel
Mar 31, 08, 6:02 am
I'm glad I switched my main emphasis from miles to earning hotel points in 2000.
I'm trendng the same way, some hotel guest reward programs can provide a lot of value. Between the airline's increased fares (mostly not their fault - their costs are soaring, except in low-competition markets they can't resist price gouging), proliferation of nuisance fees, and degeneration of customer service and then to top it off with governments' soaring thirst for revenue from air travelers, things are going downhill fast. Air travel is getting to be expensive and more and more of a hassle and the value of the FF miles is falling as well.
TrojanHorse
Mar 31, 08, 8:17 am
I would agree with the OP that hotel points provide more value
In general (int'l J seat awards or F, can provide a lot of value) award tickets with their fees are meaning less and less to me when I can go buy a Y seat for dirt cheap at least domestically. One other exception is multiple people flying and still using one hotel room
Any trip of 3 nights or more and the hotel value becomes the thing that I look for as lodging costs more than the airfare.
the one thing with the free rooms is that you can get tagged for the resort fees per day but more often than not, free is free
Regarding the airlines, they reap what they sow. I am not forgetting the way they treated pax in the mid to late 90's when things were good for them; they treated pax like crap and could because they were making money like they owned printing presses. Now that things are bad for them.. too effing bad, I have no problem with trying to get every last cent of value out of them as they did that to me. If they want to nickel and dime me to death, fine but be prepared for me to find ways around it. I'll pay freight costs before I give them a dime that I don't have to. For myself and the airlines, its definitely a them against me attitude. Right now, I don't have that attitude with the hotels.
Marathon Man
Mar 31, 08, 11:44 am
I have always said that hotels--particularly starwood--are far better than airline.
Example: 20k SPG points = 25k airline.
25k airline miles = not always getting direct flights... having to pay fees or taxes, and needing two tickets (ie, 50k) to fly you and your SO.
20k SPG hotel points = a rather nice hotel stay for 2 nights with king size bed for 2.
less points needed, less hassle. DONE
ewick12
Mar 31, 08, 10:13 pm
I just booked an AA award (DTW-ICN/GMP-HND/NRT-DTW) all in business class and I had to pay $80 for fees. I felt this was decent though. Don't some airlines charge a lot more? I just looked for a Continental award and saw that they wanted me to pay around $200 in fees. That is absurd, IMHO.
kkjay77
Mar 31, 08, 10:47 pm
I just booked an AA award (DTW-ICN/GMP-HND/NRT-DTW) all in business class and I had to pay $80 for fees. I felt this was decent though. Don't some airlines charge a lot more? I just looked for a Continental award and saw that they wanted me to pay around $200 in fees. That is absurd, IMHO.
You didn't really pay any fees. You paid taxes.
Now, some airlines charge fuel surcharge on a supposedly free flight.
That's really bad. :mad:
ewick12
Mar 31, 08, 10:51 pm
You didn't really pay any fees. You paid taxes.
Now, some airlines charge fuel surcharge on a supposedly free flight.
That's really bad. :mad:
The majority of it was taxes but I did pay one fee for ticketing over the phone. I couldn't book it online so they shouldn't be able to charge me that fee! I would've done it online if I could have. :)
freyguy50
Apr 1, 08, 8:35 am
All I can say is, "Welcome to the world of high fuel prices and air travel."
kkjay77
Apr 1, 08, 9:12 am
The majority of it was taxes but I did pay one fee for ticketing over the phone. I couldn't book it online so they shouldn't be able to charge me that fee! I would've done it online if I could have. :)
You better fly more and hit EXP then ;) as I believe EXPs are exempt from phone service fee.
beaubo
Apr 1, 08, 10:48 am
Maybe its time to shine some light under the murky voodoo 'tax' calculations of award tickets.
If you are inclined to agree......http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=807578
pvs001d
Apr 1, 08, 11:04 am
Not happy about $80 fees? Try Lufthansa. Pretty much every 'free' flight has over $300 in fees :mad:.
nsx
Apr 1, 08, 12:50 pm
I'm waiting for the "non-crash" fee. You pay it up front, but they refund it if the plane crashes. :p
essxjay
Apr 1, 08, 1:26 pm
I'm waiting for the "non-crash" fee. You pay it up front, but they refund it if the plane crashes. :p
Very pithy. :D
tom911
Apr 1, 08, 1:27 pm
Not happy about $80 fees? Try Lufthansa. Pretty much every 'free' flight has over $300 in fees :mad:.
Are they charging a fuel surcharge in there? I have an AA award to London later this month and the taxes were $140 (would be $180 on a paid ticket), but no other fees.
BakerStreet
Apr 1, 08, 2:06 pm
Taxes and fees are now so high on most "free" tickets that it's generally not worth using miles for economy flights. Save up for business or first.
sfducati
Apr 1, 08, 3:30 pm
I agree completely! SQ charges $441(taxes & surcharge) for a RT ticket SFO-BOM!!
Details in this thread http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=802879
Carolinian
Apr 3, 08, 11:16 pm
...and his snarky laugh as he says, "U didn't really believe that we would let U fly for free, didja?" implying that those who did believe are gullible!
From 1991 till now I have enjoyed many free airline tix & hotel rooms. But on April 1, DL is inventing nasty new fees & raising existing fees (see DL thread.)
Call center fees, Aeroplan fuel surcharges, fees for changing dates, rush fees (Yeah right! When was the last time they FedEx'ed U a paper ticket??)
I'm glad I switched my main emphasis from miles to earning hotel points in 2000.
DL is absolutely the worst US airline for this crap, although some in Europe are worse. I am just keeping my fingers crosseed that they keep their grubby stinking hands off of NW and Worldperks.
Firewind
Apr 9, 08, 7:41 pm
Anyone see Les Miserables?
Reminds me of the Thenadiers, the couple who ran the hotel. Their song went something like, "charge a little extra if the window's open, charge a little more if it's closed."
Seriously, it's been discussed elsewhere that the fuel surcharges are the hottest new thing, allowing the airlines to decouple a significant price component that floats on its own demand curve -- all the while saying, "The devil (the oil company) makes us do it." The main reason for bringing this up is to say that for this reason, fuel surcharges will never go away. They have become, in effect, their own profit center.
:mad::mad::mad:
toomanybooks
Apr 9, 08, 9:39 pm
Anyone see Les Miserables?
Reminds me of the Thenadiers, the couple who ran the hotel. Their song went something like, "charge a little extra if the window's open, charge a little more if it's closed."
Seriously, it's been discussed elsewhere that the fuel surcharges are the hottest new thing, allowing the airlines to decouple a significant price component that floats on its own demand curve -- all the while saying, "The devil (the oil company) makes us do it." The main reason for bringing this up is to say that for this reason, fuel surcharges will never go away. They have become, in effect, their own profit center.
:mad::mad::mad:
"Residents are more than welcome
Bridal suite is occupied
Reasonable charges
Plus some little extras on the side!
Charge 'em for the lice
Extra for the mice
Two percent for looking in the mirror twice
Here a little slice
There a little cut
Three percent for sleeping with the window shut
When it comes to fixing prices
There are a lot of tricks he knows
How it all increases
All those bits and pieces
Jesus! It's amazing how it grows!"
Firewind
Apr 9, 08, 9:55 pm
Bravo
:-::-::-:
Boghopper
Apr 9, 08, 10:42 pm
Taxes and fees are now so high on most "free" tickets that it's generally not worth using miles for economy flights. Save up for business or first.
As much as I complain about UA, I have to say I really appreciate the fact that they don't impose such things for award tickets.
Carolinian
Apr 9, 08, 11:37 pm
What is needed is some consumer protection legislation to end this fraud. Simply prohibit charging anything that is not a thrid party item like government taxes and airport fees in the ''taxes and fees'' category.
A guerrilla tactic that might give some greif back would be to challenge any such charges through your credit card.
nsx
Apr 9, 08, 11:48 pm
A guerrilla tactic that might give some grief back would be to challenge any such charges through your credit card.
You'd have to challenge within 60 days of the charge, which is likely before your travel date. You'd just lost the booking. Besides, I'm pretty sure the credit card people would not take your side. If they did, the airline might decide to close your account.
No, sadly I think this problem needs an actual lawyer.
somuchtosee
Apr 10, 08, 12:06 am
Tell me about it!
Just did C NW award on BKK-PVG RT on MH metal. NW charged
$50 expedited fee
$35 ticketing fee
$275 MH's Fuel charge
TOTAL $360!! for my so called free ticket! oh and of course, 30K miles deducted since this was an "award" ticket. Yeah right.
btw, I could've had disccounted Economy RT for $360, which I could've gotten miles for.
Not happy about $80 fees? Try Lufthansa. Pretty much every 'free' flight has over $300 in fees :mad:.
The majority of it was taxes but I did pay one fee for ticketing over the phone. I couldn't book it online so they shouldn't be able to charge me that fee! I would've done it online if I could have. :)
I have just booked seats with BA, cashing in some miles and because the service was not available to book on-line, I had to do it over the 'phone. There was NO additional charge
onaswan
Apr 11, 08, 2:54 am
...And at the risk of being seen as a BA lovey dovey, there is an interesting new strategy with BA pricing - the 'fuel surcharge' is in the price of the ticket! What you see quoted is what you pay!
MKE-MR
Apr 11, 08, 3:40 am
As much as I complain about UA, I have to say I really appreciate the fact that they don't impose such things for award tickets.
I only wish this was true, but the last two award tickets I have redeemed have featured nasty surprises at check-in where more fees were collected because they had supposedly been "collected incorrectly."
iwillflytheworld
Apr 11, 08, 4:06 am
I only wish this was true, but the last two award tickets I have redeemed have featured nasty surprises at check-in where more fees were collected because they had supposedly been "collected incorrectly."
Could you give more details? Any signs of a fuel surcharge?
Firewind
Apr 11, 08, 5:16 am
I only wish this was true, but the last two award tickets I have redeemed have featured nasty surprises at check-in where more fees were collected because they had supposedly been "collected incorrectly."
I had this happen departing LHR, but it was two years ago. "Fuel surcharge" was not cited. It was when LHR t&f were increasing before our eyes. :mad: