Discrepancy in Tax quoted on buy with cash and upgrade
I am trying to buy WTP and upgrade to Club and i am seeing many different tax values for Club world. My understanding was that at the end i will be paying base fare of WTP and tax of Club. Here are different CW taxes i am getting. My route is from BLR (india) to BOS for Feb 4 one way.
If i try to buy a buisness ticket out right it quotes my in INR
For WTP it shows:
35,680.00 INR fare + 20,201.00 INR tax i.e 647 USD + 366 USD.
If i try to use Avios site to buy a CW award it shows:
65000 Avios + 629.90 USD tax
If i try to use cash to buy and upgrade to CW it shows
22,500 avios + 650.00 usd fare + 762.00 USD tax.
Not only that if i select a date where BLR to Heathrow upgrade is not available i.e WPT from BLR to Heathrow and CW from Heathrow to BOS then it shows
10000 Avios + 650.00 + 937.96 usd tax.
So i get four different CW tax value 466, 629, 762, 937 depending on how i am doing. Does anybody have any experience why different tax values are shows. Also is my understanding not correct that i should be paying WPT base fare and CW tax and how to get that.
I am thinking of trying to book WTP ticket first and then upgrade using avios. Does anybody have any know what tax difference charge could be for BLR (any airport in india) to BOS (any airport i USA) if anybody have done similar upgarde in past.
Also my understanding is that all WTP tickets are upgradable. Is that still true?
Here is the break down when booking a CW award
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Government, authority and airport charges Per adult
Animal & Plant Health User Fee (Aphis) - USA USD5.00
Immigration User Fee - USA USD7.00
Transportation Tax(Arrival) - USA USD16.70
Customs User Fee - USA USD5.50
User Development Fee - India USD19.50
Service Tax - India USD25.02
Passenger Service Charge - United Kingdom USD41.08
Passenger Service Fee - India USD4.10
Total government, authority and airport charges* USD123.90
More information
British Airways fees and surcharges Per adult
Fuel Surcharge** USD506.00
Total British Airways fees and surcharges USD506.00
More information
Total taxes, fees and surcharges per person USD629.90
Here is the break down when book WTP with cash and upgrade
------------------------------------------------------------
Government, authority and airport charges Per adult
Customs User Fee - USA USD5.50
Transportation Tax(Arrival) - USA USD16.70
Animal & Plant Health User Fee (Aphis) - USA USD5.00
Immigration User Fee - USA USD7.00
Service Tax - India USD157.12
User Development Fee - India USD19.50
Passenger Service Fee - India USD4.10
Passenger Service Charge - United Kingdom USD41.08
Total government, authority and airport charges* USD256.00
More information
British Airways fees and surcharges Per adult
Fuel Surcharge** USD506.00
Total British Airways fees and surcharges USD506.00
More information
Total taxes, fees and surcharges per person USD762.00
Here is the break down when book WTP with cash and upgrade when one leg is not upgraded
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Government, authority and airport charges Per adult
Customs User Fee - USA USD5.50
Transportation Tax(Arrival) - USA USD16.70
Animal & Plant Health User Fee (Aphis) - USA USD5.00
Immigration User Fee - USA USD7.00
Service Tax - India USD390.08
User Development Fee - India USD19.50
Passenger Service Fee - India USD4.10
Passenger Service Charge - United Kingdom USD41.08
Total government, authority and airport charges* USD488.96
More information
British Airways fees and surcharges Per adult
Fuel Surcharge** USD449.00
Total British Airways fees and surcharges USD449.00
More information
Total taxes, fees and surcharges per person USD937.96
When Booking CW with CASH
-----------------------------
Service Tax - India INR7,862.00 (142 USD)
User Development Fee - India INR1,070.00
Passenger Service Fee - India INR225.00
Passenger Service Charge - United Kingdom INR2,270.00
Customs User Fee - USA INR303.00
Transportation Tax(Arrival) - USA INR919.00
Animal & Plant Health User Fee (Aphis) - USA INR275.00
Immigration User Fee - USA INR385.00
Total government, authority and airport charges* INR13,309.00
More information
British Airways fees and surcharges Per adult
Fuel Surcharge** INR12,378.00 (225 USD)
Total British Airways fees and surcharges INR12,378.00
More information
Total taxes, fees and surcharges per person INR25,687.00 (466 USD)
So fuel surcharge is around 225 USD and Govt taxes are 241.
Does this all make any sense?
Any way to straighten this out what tax should i be actually paying?
Last edited by boniam; Nov 17, 12 at 10:10 pm..
Reason: Highlighted differences.
Wow. You've found an incredibly weird problem. First of all I thought it was this issue: Help for your ba.com issues but it didn't seem quite right. Instead you have this situation:
YQ: BLR-BOS(CW) $225
whereas
YQ: BLR-LHR(CW) $175
YQ: LHR-BOS(CW) $169
Total: $344
well at least now you've identified what is changing. if you can figure out what factors cause those fees to change, you might be able to find the lowest cost.
you're going to have a very tough fight to make any changes. in fact, i doubt you'll ever find anyone who will say "yes, you're right. this doesn't make sense. I'll change it."
It's screwed up. That much is clear. I sure wouldn't spend my time trying to get it fixed.
If i were you, i would simply find the fare that you think is best and book it.
I would find the time to get it fixed. A CW flight should have the CW fuel surcharge of $225 applied no matter whether it's bought for cash or upgraded. I would highlight this to BA, perhaps via Nicci, and they will address it and perhaps save other people from paying these bogus fares.
I think I've found it.
The India PoS has a different YQ for a BLR-BOS flight than a UK PoS. The fuel surcharge if you buy a ticket in India is $225 and the fuel surcharge if you buy in the UK is $506.
I think I've found it.
The India PoS has a different YQ for a BLR-BOS flight than a UK PoS. The fuel surcharge if you buy a ticket in India is $225 and the fuel surcharge if you buy in the UK is $506.
Which shows the complete mockery and abuse that "fuel surcharge" really is, in that the surcharge changes purely based on the payment system being used.
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Which shows the complete mockery and abuse that "fuel surcharge" really is, in that the surcharge changes purely based on the payment system being used.
It's not the payment system, it's the location you pay for the ticket. I guess tickets using Avios are using the UK PoS, whereas cash tickets use either that of the BAEC member home location or point of origin. In this case, the easiest thing to do is pay for the WT+ tickets first and then separately upgrade them.
Which shows the complete mockery and abuse that "fuel surcharge" really is, in that the surcharge changes purely based on the payment system being used.
They would just have to pay tax on it when getting into the UK, costing more than if they bought it in the UK.
Two items which are different Service Tax - India and YQ. Particularly Service Tax - India being charge more for a flight where only one leg is upgrade seems plane wrong. I will try to bring this to BA. Charging three different YQ and four different 'Service Tax - India' doesn't make any sense. Does anybody know whats the best way to take this to BA?
I am thinking about booking the WTP quoted in INR first and MFU. Does anybody know if there is any issue doing it and what tax difference i expect to pay? Also i read somewhere that MFU is difficult and impossible if ticket is issued not in a country where BAEC is serviced though in this case i am booking ticket in US which always quotes it in INR. will i have better luck if i change my address to India (Is that even possible and quick)?
