Interesting... Let's see:
Fare 174.88
+ Fuel surcharge 37.20 (2x18.60)
= Base fare 212.08
+ US transportation tax 15.92
+ US segment tax 11.00
+ Airport "passenger facility charges" 9.00
= Total 248.00
So here's who to blame:
* AA, for hiding $40 (after taxes) in "fuel surcharges", or an additional whopping 23%
* Your federal representative, for allowing $35.92 in various taxes (of which only $13.12 were included in the 188.00 quoted), amounting to 17% of what the airline gets
Do I smell the need for both a "Fairness in Fares Quoted" and a "Flyer's Tax Relief" initiative?
PS interestingly, UA has the same fare on those markets, but does not charge the $40 fuel surcharge that AA does -- so the total tichet is $208 vs $248. NW, codesharing on CO, also has a matching fare, but it charges a $20 fuel surcharge, for a total of $222, which is $6 shy of $228 because you also save "passenger facilities charges" in IAH (each airport sets its own, up to $3). Mindboggling.