Gass

I was quoted tax and surcharges of over EUR400 for flights on a Thursday but about EUR200 for two days earlier. Same route (ABZ > CDG > MCO), same time, different day. The guy on the phone said that the tax can change per day. When I looked closer at the charges online it appears that the surcharges were EUR0 on the Tuesday but EUR128 on the Thursday. To make matters worse, they dont charge a surcharge on the Thursday if you book split tickets, only if you book a single ticket. So, it seems it is a levy on making it easy to do business with them. This was only one part of a very frustrating attempt to book award tickets, which seems to have ended in failure. The good news is that the ticket price with Opodo is only a little more than the price using Air Miles so why do we even need Air Miles???? This is the third time I have tried to book award tickets with FB and every time it has been a hassle. They even changed the dates of my award tickets on one occasion without telling me. Which all leads me to conclude that my loyalty is best served elsewhere. Does anyone know of a FF program that doesn't have surcharges and is easy to do business with?

Gass

I have also just noticed that the tax on a flight AMS > CDG > NYC is less than a flight from CDG > NYC. How can this be legal and possible?

San Gottardo

I am not sure that I understood all elements of your grievance, but it surely sounds like a frustrating experience.

As for your question about a FF program without surcharges - I am not aware of any, but I do not know that many. Indeed I have often found that purchasing a ticket rather than getting it through miles is a better deal.

As for ease of doing business with, I'd say it depends upon your status. With M&M if you are a "blue" level customer I would assume that it's a little painful as well. If you are a "gold" level (=Senator), then you don't have to do through the FFP call centre, but you can call the much more competent and customer-friendly Senator service. Having said that, with Flying Blue even being Platinum you find transactions hasslesome.

Good luck

JOUY31

What was your routing?

Mokshu

On award tickets or revenue tickets ?

When you're doing a AMS -> CDG -> NYC, you have taxes for a departure in AMS and transit taxes in CDG, whereas on a CDG -> NYC, departure taxes from CDG apply.

It can be that departure taxes AMS + transit taxes CDG are lower than departure taxes in CDG.

I'll take a look tomorrow :/

Gass

These are for award tickets.

The routing was ABZ > CDG > MCO

Hi Mokshu, did you get a chance to look into this?

Xandrios

About your question if this would be legal; It would. Whatever their pricing scheme is, you do not have to buy their product if you dont like it. Nobody forces you. So yes its legal....perhaps its driving away customers, but thats a different matter.

brunos

It is seldom attractive to use award miles for AF tickets in Y return tickets.
Some airlines apply huge surcharges (AF, BA) others do not (especially US airlines), while most apply the same "taxes" as on rev tickets.

Gass

Agreed, however they show the amount as "Tax", not "Tax and surcharges" until later in the process. If not illegal it is certainly mis-leading.

Does anyone know if there is an Official or Unofficial Flying Blue Passenger/User Group? I am thoroughly fed up with FB. I am tempted to use my AirMiles and switch loyalty however, my home airport doesn't offer too many options therefore, I would prefer to participate in a user group if there is one.

Rus925

I thought you could buy out of all your taxes and fees on an award ticket for 5K-10K miles with LH.

Also, most U.S. airlines have greatly reduced the fees they charge on award tickets to just the very basics they charge on a rev ticket. I've seen $5 surcharges for a UA flight to Canada, $45 (Canadian taxes...) for the return.

jms_uk

12k, and only intra-Europe?

At least that was what I paid last year for BHX-FRA-MSQ return.

Rus925

Hm. I definitely remember seeing 5K at one point. Maybe it's inflation...

Mokshu

You can do the same offline on FB.
7500 Miles per coupon for intra Europe flights only.

jms_uk

coupon = segment?

For an itinerary like mine above [UK-AMS/CDG-Europe] that would be 30k fare + 30k taxes...