inbead

I am absolutely shocked at the amount of taxes the agent indicated for this booking.

This is an award ticket from LAX to KHI (Karachi Pakistan) around Thanksgiving time via Delta's partner Singapore Airlines.

I didn't write down the routing but I believe it was LAX-NRT-SIN-KHI and back the same way.

I just want to check with you guys, is $660 for taxes is reasonable?

For comparison, I booked 80k award ticket from LAX to DXB (Dubai) with a stop over in AMS and the taxes were only $101.

GUWonder

Welcome to Delta Airlines, where DL management shows how much your loyalty to DL is really not worth.

Given a roundtrip ticket between LAX and KHI can be gotten for as cheap or even cheaper than $1060 including taxes, DL is providing about $400 in value in exchange for redeeming 80k miles.

DL miles are far less valuable than miles from other US airlines and it shows again and again and again.

Remember to thank DL management for this kind of situation.

AndyTLe

OP mentions $660 in taxes on Singapore. How did it become a DL bash fest? Shouldn't the issue be with SQ?

GUWonder

The OP is talking about DL award tickets for a trip between LAX and KHI. The DL award ticket taxes and fees which DL SkyMiles customers are asked to pay are calculated by DL and a function of what DL wanted.

Spiff

A search on expedia and orbitz shows most carriers charging between $100 and $300 in taxes, with a couple around $400.

However, a visit to SQ's website yields:

Fare for 1 Adult: 518.00
Taxes & Surcharges: 623.96

Total: USD 1,141.96


Prices shown in US Dollar (USD).

USD = USD *

*Estimated.

For LAX-KHI 11/16 - 11/28.

Looks like SQ might indeed deserve the blame on this one, though Delta's taxes and fees on other airlines certainly might lead one to believe that this is another example of Delta fleecing mileage redeemers...

GUWonder

Doesn't US Airways still charge less cash than that for taxes, surcharges and other award ticket fees for an LAX to KHI award ticket using SQ?

Burj

Related to this issue is the fact that if the OP wanted to avoid the SQ taxes it would be difficult as SkyTeam is VERY limited in serving the Pakistani market, especially from North America....

fti

Unfortunately this is mostly due to a fuel surcharge on SQ. So as much as I don't like much of what DL is doing with its medallion and award programs, this really appears to be an SQ problem.

$510 just in YQ fuel surcharges. I guess they are taking a page from DL's international award ticket playbook.

GUWonder

But do US and UA charge such high taxes, fees, surcharges for such award travel on SQ flights? I don't think they did at the start of last summer for US to KHI flights and that was back when fuel was much more expensive than today.

PMMMDL

Yes, SQ charges the same fees and taxes on UA and US FF tickets. SQ even charges their own FFers.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/singa...ng-you-sq.html

The problem is SQ not DL on this one.

Use the search function with SQ fuel surcharge and you will see.

GUWonder

The award ticket cash component that UA and US charges for SQ flights on this routing were less than what DL or SQ charged their own FFers last year -- which is when fuel was much more expensive -- so apparently the fees and taxes on award tickets are not the same when using UA or US miles for SQ flights as when using DL miles for SQ flights.

The charges have been different and most probably still are with DL charging more cash on award tickets than UA and US do for SQ flights between the US and KHI. DL has a habit of charging more cash on award tickets than the other US airlines even when the flights are operated by foreign carriers such as SQ. There's no sign that DL-issued award tickets for SQ flights have the same or lower cash charges than UA or US-issued award tickets for SQ flights.