mrkymark

I've always known flights originating from Brazil are free of fuel surcharges.
However when I priced out a J award ticket GRU-IST-LIS to my surprise I saw:

Taxes and fees BRL 1,385.76
- Embarkation fee BR 62.86
- Service charge DU 0.00
- Fuel Surcharge YR 1291.06
- Airport Service Charge 31.84

Question to the Brazil M&S members or anyone who knows is this common to see this?
Mistake or legitimate charge?

I understand there is a difference between YR/YQ but anyone know if Brazil also restricts YR charges as well? or just YQ?

YR Insurance and security surcharge
Many airlines have been levying a charge per passenger to cover increased costs of insurance and security. It is usually represented by the tax code YR.

YQ Fuel surcharge
Many airlines have imposed a separate fuel surcharge. It is usually represented by the tax code YQ. The amount of the fuel surcharge varies by airline, route and sometimes cabin of travel.

SK AAR

Choose another carrier for the award. To LIS Tap seems to be the obvious choice. Seats available?

mrkymark

TAP availability is pretty non existant.
Thats why I was looking at TK
But confused about the fuel surcharge.

IAN-UK

You are right to be confused. TK is operating outside the law established through an ANAC resolution. This made it clear that only government charges and those emanating from airports could be included in ticket prices. Over time many carriers have ignored or rebelled against the law, most were eventually whipped into shape.

There was some confusion a few years back when ANAC revised legislation aimed at consumer protection, but I understand the confusion was that the revised resolution made no explicit mention of YQ, and some airlines assumed that detail had been rescinded.

I haven't lived in Brasil for some time, but I understand the original resolution still stands. You can contact ANAC (Brasil's national civil aviation agency) through email/Twitter etc https://www.gov.br/anac/en

Certainly Lufthansa continues to follow the practice of not applying surcharges to tickets originating in Brasil, whether one-way or round-trip. Which is why it's far preferable to book an M&M award trip to Brasil as two single journeys.

Currently the charges on one-way tickets to Europe out of GRU bought through Miles and More are less than EUR50.

Quite how Miles and Smiles handles award ticketing of its partners I have no idea. But you might try booking a Lufthansa or Swiss flight.

Of course if you are trying to take advantage of the current award sale with TK, that advice might not be helpful !

stevespam

As a TK frequent flyer and a Brazilian, yes, the TK YR here are overpriced, IAN-UK gave a real good explanation.
Just issued a ticket last month (round-trip to Taiwan) and the YR was 4.400 BRL (or 775 USD on today's rate)

mrkymark

That's so crazy.
So do you ever file a complaint with the Brasillian Tax Authorities to get the YR refunded or do you just eat the cost?