In some instances they are sneaky ways to get around taxes. That is something that should make governments sit up and take notice and then outlaw YQ.
It has also been a technique for false advertising when it comes to revenue flights, pretending that the flight is cheaper than it reallly. This shell game of decoupling one part of the fare from the rest of it and then hiding it on the tax line is simply dishonest to all concerned.
Originally Posted by
Globehopper
Funny how the EU regularly take US companies to task for services rendered in Europe--Google and Microsoft come to mind.
Or,
one could argue that by establishing a physical presence in the US, these foreign companies now fall under local laws.
Either way, YQs are deceptive.
If they weren't, why have them today?
If YQ are so above board, get rid of them and just lump them into the ticket price. What's BA afraid of? After all YQs date back to the days when airlines paid a commission to travel agents, and this was a sneaky way to reduce the "base fare" and thereby the amount of the commission paid.
Or we could have YQQ (seat cushion surcharge), YQX (staffing surcharge), YQW (aircraft tire surcharge). Why stop at fuel?