Originally Posted by
moondog
They are collecting money from you in order to pay the operating carrier's YQ. This is their SOP.
Thanks...that makes sense even if it renders the points almost worthless for an economy ticket (the fees almost equal the flight cost).
I know this is SOP in Europe, but I've used Avios points in the US and South America without such fees. Is there a good rule of thumb of where the fees apply and where they don't?