Ridiculous Air Travel Fees?
December 27th, 2006
I got an e-mail from Orbitz this morning, alerting me to a United Airlines fare sale, so I clicked on over and started searching flights to London this spring.
I’ve flown a bit on Virgin Atlantic between New York and London, liked their service, and they had the lowest fare. But wait a minute, what’s that?
(click to see the idiocy with your own eyes)
Yes, $192 in fare, $298 in fees, for a total of $490.
Higher fees than the damn fare?
Wow, must be a lot of security fees. Or are they fuel surcharges? $298 in taxes and fees must buy me a lot. Jet fuel, maybe airport fees… gotta pay those people who make me take off my shoes. Hmm… it should cost about the same in taxes and fees for different airlines, right? And since taxes are usually calculated on a percentage basis, the higher the fare, the higher the taxes and fees, right?
Oh, maybe not.
(click to see the idiocy with your own eyes)
Same total cost, lower taxes and fees. $130 lower. Is American Airlines getting a deal on x-ray machine usage?
The complete lack of transparency on what the fee components are is quite disturbing. I wonder which of these “fees” might be service fees imposed by Orbitz. I’m more than open to explanations.
Entry Filed under: Businesses that Suck
1 Comment Add your own
1. Max Entropy | January 24th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
I suspect that fair chunks of these expenses might be categorized under “profit margin maintenance fees”. Even when disclosed, one is hard pressed to know what entity requires them and what entitiy gets the money. The confusuin surely tempts airlines and travel companies to scam.
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