So award travel is not really free?
Jun 3, 2005, 7:59 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sugar Land,Texas USA
Posts: 4,889
So award travel is not really free?
Have never used any of my AA miles before, so when i tried to book a reward tkt for my wife's Nov trip to MIA i see a charge of $5? What is this taxes?? I have booked reward travel with NW and CO and none of them charged me.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Jun 3, 2005, 8:03 am
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Location: JFK
Programs: AAdvantage EXP/ConciergeKey
Posts: 292
Originally Posted by afang
Have never used any of my AA miles before, so when i tried to book a reward tkt for my wife's Nov trip to MIA i see a charge of $5? What is this taxes?? I have booked reward travel with NW and CO and none of them charged me.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Jun 3, 2005, 8:08 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sugar Land,Texas USA
Posts: 4,889
Originally Posted by FlyACN
NW and CO will charge you $5 if you do the reservation via the phone. All US-based airlines charge that now for phone reservation. You can avoid it by booking on the airline's respective website. Another way to avoid it is if you are Top-Tier in the airline's FF program.
Jun 3, 2005, 8:11 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: HRO/SGF (Home)/DFW (Work)
Programs: AA EXP/2MM, Marriott Silver
Posts: 1,623
Originally Posted by afang
That's the thing, i am going through AA.com to book this and that's why i'm kinda puzzled as what this is.. could this be the 9/11 Fee?
Jun 3, 2005, 8:13 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 267
Most airlines, if not all, charge an additional $5 as a fuel and/or security surcharge. This has been in place for the 6 months or so.
Jun 3, 2005, 8:21 am
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Siesta Key
Programs: AA EXP-1.6MM, Hilton Diamond, ManU & Chicago Bears #1 Fan
Posts: 9,697
$5??? I thought it was $10 for domestic award ticket. You are getting a break! 
Jun 3, 2005, 8:24 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA GLD (1MM), DL GLD, Marriott Plat, RCL D+, X Elite
Posts: 3,229
It's the security tax.... and it's been in place for award tickets since the security tax was implemented after 9/11.
Jun 3, 2005, 8:35 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: AUS/DCA
Programs: Nothing fits in my travelling wallet any more...
Posts: 314
Originally Posted by andrzej
$5??? I thought it was $10 for domestic award ticket. You are getting a break!
Jun 3, 2005, 8:40 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: NY
Programs: AA Plat 1MM, IC RA, HH Gold
Posts: 2,791
I also had to pay $10 to book a domestic award ticket last month.
Jun 3, 2005, 8:44 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Brooklyn, NY, US
Posts: 2,311
I'm pretty used to the idea of paying _something_ on top of miles for award tix, but my neck still hurts from the whiplash when I saw the taxes on the F award I booked on BA using my QF miles before the QF award chart changed:
JFK-LHR(x)-HEL/RIX-LHR(o)-JFK.
125K miles + US$253!
(still would have been ~US$190 without the stopover on the return)
JFK-LHR(x)-HEL/RIX-LHR(o)-JFK.
125K miles + US$253!
(still would have been ~US$190 without the stopover on the return)
Jun 3, 2005, 8:45 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: ORD, AA EXP, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 594
there is a $2.50 per segment security fee, up to a max of $10, which you are charged alos on award tickets. This is probably what you are seeing, for a direct RT flight.
Jun 3, 2005, 9:22 am
#12
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Lahaina,HI USA AA PLT 9 Million Miles+, Hyatt Courtesy Card, Avis Presidents Club, Hertz No. 1 Club Gold, Starwood Platinum,OnePass Gold Elite,+++
Posts: 478
Yep, it's what I paid Wednesday to get a ticket for my sister.
Still, almost free!
Still, almost free!
Jun 3, 2005, 1:10 pm
#13
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
TANSTAAFL alert
Oh, cr@p! I now see how I am being ripped off by AA, as they billed me $36 apiece for two First Class award seats SJC-NRT-SJC; they actually expect ME to pay the airport security fees and taxes. I doubt anyone actually pays full freight of $12,496.05 USD per seat, but the gall! 
Jun 3, 2005, 3:54 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Sugar Land,Texas USA
Posts: 4,889
oh well..i guess i'll just have to live with the idea that there is no such things as free travel.
Jun 3, 2005, 11:36 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
Congress decided to tax free travel. Take the complaint up with them; airlines would love to avoid having to collect the tax on such otherwise free travel!