AF's ripoff on award taxes
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2001
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AF's ripoff on award taxes
I was booking a one way "open miles" award from USA to India and was offered a flight on AF and another on KLM. I tried the AF one first, but they
wanted 192 Euro in "taxes". I then tried the KLM flight and now the "taxes" were just 12 Euros!
Presumably the difference is that AF is charging a fuel surcharge on award tickets. To me it is a complete ripoff to charge a fuel surcharge on a "free" award ticket. Anyone want to guess how soon AF forces KLM to impose the same ripoff fuel surcharge on award tickets ?
wanted 192 Euro in "taxes". I then tried the KLM flight and now the "taxes" were just 12 Euros!
Presumably the difference is that AF is charging a fuel surcharge on award tickets. To me it is a complete ripoff to charge a fuel surcharge on a "free" award ticket. Anyone want to guess how soon AF forces KLM to impose the same ripoff fuel surcharge on award tickets ?
#2
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,527
Originally Posted by ananthar
I was booking a one way "open miles" award from USA to India and was offered a flight on AF and another on KLM. I tried the AF one first, but they
wanted 192 Euro in "taxes". I then tried the KLM flight and now the "taxes" were just 12 Euros!
Presumably the difference is that AF is charging a fuel surcharge on award tickets. To me it is a complete ripoff to charge a fuel surcharge on a "free" award ticket. Anyone want to guess how soon AF forces KLM to impose the same ripoff fuel surcharge on award tickets ?
wanted 192 Euro in "taxes". I then tried the KLM flight and now the "taxes" were just 12 Euros!
Presumably the difference is that AF is charging a fuel surcharge on award tickets. To me it is a complete ripoff to charge a fuel surcharge on a "free" award ticket. Anyone want to guess how soon AF forces KLM to impose the same ripoff fuel surcharge on award tickets ?
Welcome to the world of profitable airlines...
#3
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Originally Posted by ananthar
Presumably the difference is that AF is charging a fuel surcharge on award tickets.
Originally Posted by ananthar
I then tried the KLM flight and now the "taxes" were just 12 Euros!
Last edited by Falco Peregrinus; Oct 17, 2005 at 3:19 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: The Netherlands
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Assuming it are indeed the tax charges, this could make van Wijk's (Dutch KL CEO) plans to put the fuel price into the fare a somewhat positive development: http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/news/?id=10701
#5
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Originally Posted by Falco Peregrinus
AF (like many airlines) charges fuel surchage on all tickets, award or not. I have booked an award ticket recently and I've paid exactly the same amount of tax as for paid tickets (nonstop longhaul, 154 €). Actually, I've even paid less (134 €) since they (FB) did not charged any service fee (20 €).
I'm pretty sure this is a mistake. Hurry up and book that award now. Taxes for 2 longhaul segments with a connection in AMS cannot be 12 €. Yet be ready for an additional "tax correction request" later.
I'm pretty sure this is a mistake. Hurry up and book that award now. Taxes for 2 longhaul segments with a connection in AMS cannot be 12 €. Yet be ready for an additional "tax correction request" later.
#6
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Originally Posted by Maurits
Assuming it are indeed the tax charges, this could make van Wijk's (Dutch KL CEO) plans to put the fuel price into the fare a somewhat positive development: http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/news/?id=10701
As it comes to award taxes - I have the impression that KLM charges more on award tickets than on revenue tickets. One exception was a LHR-AMS award I booked (just before the FB change) where the taxes were quoted at GBP 54. To my surprise my CC was charged with about EURO 54 - no complaints from me there No tax correction request either.
BTW: are they still advertising FB (and other FF programs) with getting 'free flights' if you use their program? Again something to report to the ASA then...
#7
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Originally Posted by frankvb
BTW: are they still advertising FB (and other FF programs) with getting 'free flights' if you use their program? Again something to report to the ASA then...
#8
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cologne / Germany
Posts: 19
"AF (like many airlines) charges fuel surchage on all tickets, award or not"
I booked this year award tickets with UA Mileage Plus and US Dividend Miles.
They both charged me only the "real" taxes.
Their award tickets were exempted from fuel surcharges.
If AF does so it is an exorbitant cheat to charge extra for their operating costs on awards.
I booked this year award tickets with UA Mileage Plus and US Dividend Miles.
They both charged me only the "real" taxes.
Their award tickets were exempted from fuel surcharges.
If AF does so it is an exorbitant cheat to charge extra for their operating costs on awards.
#9
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: sjc/sfo/oak, pick the cheapest one
Posts: 480
[QUOTE=Bobby Peru]
Their award tickets were exempted from fuel surcharges.
[QUOTE]
Actually they do not have such surcharges. They can only raise the fare. That is they a UA carrier fare might be more expensive pre tax, but at end total is almost the same. Since there is no such surcharge for US carrier's published fare (at least in US), there is no charge for award ticket as well.
Their award tickets were exempted from fuel surcharges.
[QUOTE]
Actually they do not have such surcharges. They can only raise the fare. That is they a UA carrier fare might be more expensive pre tax, but at end total is almost the same. Since there is no such surcharge for US carrier's published fare (at least in US), there is no charge for award ticket as well.
#10
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Malaga, Spain
Posts: 1,076
Originally Posted by frankvb
A sensible plan from KLM for a change! IMHO the EU should mandate that either all quoted/advertised fares should include everything right from the start (taxes, fees & fuel surcharges & booking charges if these always apply), or that only non-airline related charges may be excluded (such as airport tax & airport security surcharge). I few days ago I noticed that BA (on the UK website at least) now quotes the full price when going through the booking engine, an example that more airlines should follow....
#11
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Originally Posted by frankvb
BTW: are they still advertising FB (and other FF programs) with getting 'free flights' if you use their program?
Johan
#12
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Originally Posted by johan rebel
Does anybody remember the good old days when Flying Dutchman did not charge any taxes or fees for award tickets? It wasn't that many years ago.
Johan
Johan
#13
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: The Netherlands
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By the way, I really think that fuel charges in general are just a bunch of belony. Why not raise the fare and lower it again as soon as (if ever) fuel prices will drop?
This is why I like Travelocity and their TotalTrip price
This is why I like Travelocity and their TotalTrip price
#15
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 195
Originally Posted by johan rebel
<...>good old days when Flying Dutchman did not charge any taxes or fees for award tickets?