Security surcharge coming
 

To pick up that multibillion-dollar tab, the Senate bill proposes adding a security surcharge on airline fares, possibly of $1.50 or $2.50 per ticket.

The legislation gives $1 of that surcharge, for every ticket sold, to the federal government, with the airlines keeping the remainder.

While that places a burden on airline passengers, it would compare favorably to the $8 security surcharge German-based carrier Lufthansa, Europe's second-biggest airline, has imposed on every ticket since Oct. 1. Lufthansa has said it will put sky marshals on planes, reinforce cockpit doors and spend more money on background checks for new employees, and also faces higher insurance costs.

And some airline security experts say a surcharge should have been imposed years ago. Victoria Cummock, whose husband was killed on Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988, has served on presidential airline security commissions under both presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and says the average passenger is willing to pay a little more for peace of mind.

"People have said to me, 'I pay for that for a drink on the flight ? I pay that much for a bad drink of wine,'" says Cummock.

But Cummock says that when serving on the 1997 White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security, chaired by Vice President Al Gore, she was alone in advocating a $4 per-ticket surcharge, good for $2 billion a year. Cummock claims the other commission members, and the airlines, were concerned the surcharge would dampen down demand for air travel.


Source - ABC News

Now for my personal opinion:

The current proposed measures are not anywhere near enough - and the total cost for strict and fast security - as opposed to El Al which is strict bit slow security - would probably run closer to Lufthansa's 8USD per ticket rather than 2.

I would certainly pay the extra money - with the number of flights I take per year, it would add up to a grand total of .... $180.

These are tax-deductible dollars, so the net through cost to me is closer to $120.

Some people will probably yell and scream about the one or two dollars. For these people I have a solution. On every flight, just before they do the safety announcements - have the following public service announcement.

"The airline industry, in cooperation with the government and travel groups, has implemented strict new security procedures - and the task of screening luggage is now in the hands of the US Marshalls. We've purchased new equipment and redesigned our check in procedures to provide maximum speed and comfort. We hope you will understand how the $8 a ticket aviation security tax fits in with this new, safer and smoother, check in procedure."

The background for this announcement should be a loop of clips of the planes hitting the World Trade Center.




[This message has been edited by nw_with_attitude (edited 10-06-2001).]

the LH$8 security 'tax' is not per ticket but per flight segment ... making that surcharge for a ZRH-FRA-SFO-FRA-ZRH ticket a total of $32 ...

When I first saw the subject line, I thought you were talking about a new hotel surcharge.

Energy surcharge - $3 (for extra electricity)
Maid surcharge - $4 (for cleaning the room)
Security surcharge - $2 (for locks on the door)

My main concern is why are we talking about another tax when the revenue from current taxes is not being spent?

This tax would just add to the numerous other taxes currently being collected and will just make things more complicated and harder to determine what the true cost of a ticket is. A good example: Yesterday United was offering a $88 return from from SEA to DFW, after all taxes the cost of the ticket rose to $116.50. I am not complaing about the need to pay taxes but there has to be a better way to collect it then the current method's used.

If it is determined that more taxes are needed to pay for security, they should bump the US tax (currently at 7%) back to 10% (or more), use the proceeds to pay for everything needed and do away with all of the other taxes. The only exception would be on international tickets where other governments currently collect taxes.

While I'll admin that energy prices were higher in the summer, and it will cost more to perform airport security, I agree that this whole 'surcharge' thing is starting to get out of hand. There's already a 7.5% (?) tax on airline tickets. What exactly is that covering?
About 10yrs or so ago, when airlines and airports wanted to expand, they couldn't get their hands onto money from the aviation trust fund. So they added the new Passenger Facility Charge (PFC's) to raise money for development. Shouldn't that have come from existing tax revenue?
If they want to add a surcharge for security, then maybe there should be no 'flat' tax on tickets. Have every item broken out as the individual costs.

What you'll also see, since these surcharges conveniently aren't added into the advertised fees, is 'final' ticket prices much higher than the advertised price. That $99 each way cross country fare is probably going to become a $240 round trip cost.
I also had a similar 'sticker shock' experience like a previous poster. For an August PHL-MSY ticket on United, my $89 total R/T fare was $55 for the air ticket, and $34 in total taxes and fees. A little ridiculous.

Jeff

Lufthansa imposes ticket surcharge of eight US dollars from 1 October.

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the United States Lufthansa has incurred additional costs, some of which will have to be passed on to passengers.
As a result of the crisis, expenditure – for example, on security measures, insurance premiums and other fixed-cost items – has risen significantly throughout the airline industry.
From October 1, until further notice, Lufthansa is therefore compelled to impose a ticket surcharge of eight US dollars per individual flight leg. In taking this action, Lufthansa is following the example set by many other international airlines.

Tickets which have already been issued and paid for will not be affected. The surcharge will be shown on each ticket.

Today's New York Times reports the following per segment security surcharges implemented since September 11:

Lufthansa-$8
Iberia-$7.50
Philippine Airlines-$6
Alitalia-$5.50
KLM-$5
Qantas-$5
Varig-$5
Egypt Air-$3.50
Olympic-$2
Air Canada-$2

Yes, but will ANY OF THIS MAKE US ANY SAFER?

Will the $ collected be spent for the security (intended purpose) or IOU's issued to offset government deficit? The 7.5% tax (formerly higher %) just have IOU's issued against trust fund. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif Monies need to be spent for intended purpose! PFC's may not be needed if the excise tax (7.5%) was spent on airports, etc. I may be for a security surcharge if all the other taxes were spent for the designated purpose.

How exactly do all these new changes and additional spending make air travel any safer than it was two months ago?

The biggest single improvement in air safety we have acheived since 9/11 is simply this: No group of passengers will ever again sit there allow anyone to take over the plane. This education we have all received makes flying safer than all the x-ray machines, and GED schooled screeners could do combined. Take all this new money and invest it in border security and immigration enforcement.
Just after we spend all this money protecting airplanes, which are probably no longer a target anyway, the terrorists will start hitting trains, buses, large events, buildings, movie theaters, malls, ...etc. What, are we going to have x-rays, metal detectors, pat downs, retna-scanners and id badges, no purses or bags at all of these events too? I just see all this attention to airport security as kind of stupid. Sure, let's get more serious about it and get better people but let's not go overboard. The bad guys have probably already moved on, but even if they haven't, as I already mentioned- no one will ever be able to repeat the 9/11 attacks.

Nope, not a bit. The money will be squandered and there will still be 10 undertrained people staffing 2 checkpoints while 7 other check points sit idle. Perhaps a 3 hour wait while observing people with automatic weapons will be reassuring to other people; it will do nothing to reassure me.



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"Those who would sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither." - Ben Franklin

I think United in particular is charging more for taxes than others... last week I booked a UA ticket, single connection, $129 base plus $30.50 in tax. Yesterday I booked a NW ticket for $128 plus $11 in tax.

I think you're giving them a bit too much credit here... don't you need to know English to pass the GED in most states???

Why not raise income taxes a bit and get rid of all of the current surchages in place. Americans currently pay one of the lowest tax rates in the World and our current president thinks it is still too high. Anyone saying let the users pay for the services should realize that air travel benefits everyone even if they do not fly.

I can still not understand why I have to pay US Customs to search my bags--should not their expenses come in part from the duty they collect arriving passengers?