Simple question surely been asked before. Why does the base fare cost more than $99?
Base Taxes Total
$2,384.41 $45.00 $2,429.41
$120.36 $45.00 165.36
Taxes not listed as taxes?
Originally Posted by
missydarlin
The US Tax is included in the base fare.
For Domestic itineraries it's 7.5ish percent. For International, I think it's a flat $30ish
I have always wondered this same thing, and am still confused. $120.36 is about a 21% markup from $99. So...where does the other 13.5ish percent come from if 7.5% is US tax?
My guess is that this is something we'll never understand. The way taxes are added to airfares is...less than transparent.
Another example from a booked companion ticket:
..................................Fare..........Ta xes & Fees.........Charge(s)
Airfare for Traveler #1:...$520.39......$41.30.................$561.69
Airfare for Companion:....$118.02......$41.30................. .$159.32
Hyperlinks on Alaskaair.com make it...so clear:
Fare: The fare quote includes base fare, U.S. Federal taxes, and any applicable surcharges.
Taxes and Fees:
Some or all of the taxes and fees below may apply to your itinerary.
Name.....................................May Apply To...........Amount
9/11 Security Fee ....................Domestic + Intnl....... $2.50 per U.S. boarding
Apt. (PFC)..............................Domestic + Intnl........up to $18 roundtrip
U.S. Fed. Segment Fee.............U.S. Domestic...........$3.70 per segment*
Intnl Taxes and Fees................International.............up to $180
U.S. Gateway Fee....................Hawaii and Alaska......$8.20
MX Tourism and Apt Taxes**.....Mexico.....................Up to $70***
*(defined as 1 takeoff and 1 landing)
**The Mexico Tourism Tax and Airport Use Tax may be refundable if you qualify for an exemption.
***(fluctuates with exchange rate)
Please note: Search results show advertised fares, and do not include all taxes and fees. Total fares include all taxes and fees, and can be found in the fare summary sections on each page, and are also detailed in the Fare Summary section.
Conclusion, for the above companion fare BZN - SEA - ANC r/t:
$99 - Base (companion) fare
~$7.43 - US Federal taxes (~7.5%)
~$11.59 - "applicable surcharges"
$10 - 9/11 security fee
$8.30 - Airport Passenger Facility Charge (PFC)
$14.80 - U.S. Federal Segment Fee
$8.20 - U.S. Gateway Fee (assume this is only charged once??)