Hefty fuel tax on award ticket
 

A friend just used 120,000 SQ miles to book two roundtrips in coach from the USA to Asia. The YQ tax (fuel tax) on each ticket was SGD 215!

None of the booked flights were on SQ -- there were three segments on UA and two on NH. I booked an identical award reservation using my UA miles, and there was no YQ tax at all. When we called SQ to find out what this was all about, they insisted that either UA or NH imposes these fees and they have nothing to do with it, but I know this can't be true as I didn't have to pay the fuel tax on my identical itinerary.

Any thoughts on this? Does anyone have experience here? Thanks in advance.

SQ charges fuel surcharge - doesn't matter which airline you actually fly.

Hmm, why do they do this? I am intrigued.

It's not a tax - just a way to increase ticket prices without having to advertise that fact.

Exactly. Why do people fall for this? It's a great scam on the airlines' (yes, that apostrophe is in the right place) part. YQ on a frequent flier ticket is no more legit than charging a "flight expense surcharge" (equal to the cost of a ticket) to cover the cost pilots, aircraft, flight attendants, etc.

UA does have a specific policy NOT to charge YQ fuel surcharge on any award ticket issued using UA miles.

So was I lied to when the SQ agent told us that NH and/or UA (the airlines comprising my friend's itinerary) were the ones levying this fee?

Seems pretty dirty to me.

Not necessarily. For all we know UA as operating airline IS charging SQ for fuel costs. The fact UA Mileage Plus chooses not to charge on its awards is a separate matter.

There is nothing dirty about it. :p

You need to pay fuel surcharge if redeeming SQ miles, even if flying UA or NH. You don't need to pay fuel surcharge if redeeming UA miles, even if flying SQ. I believe it is a US DOT regulation which prevents UA from collecting YQ. BTW, SGD215 is only about USD140. It is not unusual to pay upward of USD300 for taxes and fees now. :(

Sure. But it is odd that MP doesn't charge YQ for awards on other airlines... Do you think MP is absorbing the YQ cost when issuing award tickets on SQ?

I recently redeemed a First Class (LX and TG) award ticket JFK/ZRH/BKK/CEI via Air Canada Aeroplan. The total taxes were CAD 56.84. I am assuming there was no fuel surcharge...or I was just very lucky.

But if you book using UA miles via a European call centre, they will always charge the YQ.

Seriously? That's not policy.

My last reward flight in April AKL/SIN/BKK/SIN/AKL had taxes of IA 16.00, SG 21.00 and XT 281.00 totalling SGD318.00.


BKK departure tax of THB700 will be in there somewhere.