$526 in taxes ONE WAY UC reward flight to NYC !!

I know taxes had got out of control in UK, but my 'fuel and tax' charges for a Miles flight one way LHR to NYC were $526 !! (about 325pounds) I thought it was a mistake, and that was for a round trip. When I rang up to get it corrected, it was me that was corrected!

No wonder flyers in the US consider UK carriers as the ones to avoid, and never go through London if they can help it.

Time for the EC to step in and level the playing field, methinks.

[honey lamb]

Time for the EC to step in and level the playing field, methinks.

Funny you should say this. This was in today's Irish Examiner on that very subject

Good chunk of that is VS fuel 'surcharge' which a lot of us think should be in the base fare but it suits VS (well most airlinea) to include it in the 'nasty' taxes and fees section and give the impression that its nothing to do with them!

Econ APD = £ 60.00
Econ Fuel Surcharge = £ 87.50 (one way)

Eye watering indeed. My reward flights to LAX later in the year have cost me just shy of £1,0000 in "fees and taxes". Ouch B) .
DL

I’m currently looking at reward options for our next USA trip & am also staggered at the 'VS Airline Fuel & Insurance Surcharge'- this being the one item that accounts for the majority of what VS brand 'Taxes, fees, charges and surcharges'.

Also interesting to note that the VS surcharge accounts for a far higher percentage of the overall list of fees/taxes/charges on a UK-USA-UK return than it does on a UK-USA single.

Not rocket science to work out why: VS double up on their fuel & insurance surcharge on a return flight but all other elements (US animal/plant/immigration/customs & UK ADP/PSC) all stay static, ie. no more for a return than a single. This translates to the VS surcharge accounting for a whopping 64% of overall charges on a return and a lesser figure of 48% on a single flight. Astonishingly high, but at least, mile for mile, the VS % is considerably less on a single flight as opposed to return.

Thanks
James

All these charges for rewards flights and they still make it tough to use them! Its a lose lose situation for many... although I still keep collecting.

I think the fuel surcharge is one of the biggest cons going. The airlines never have to account for the levy and when fuel drops they never offer a fuel rebate.
It is a misleading way of charging more than the advertised price for the product. If your costs go up or down then you need to price your product accordingly. I have to quote my customers 6 months in advance and I can just see the reaction if I ask them for a surcharge of any sort.

As for departure tax I notice that when I use miles to upgrade with VS they charge me the tax as if I had bought the ticket but if I upgrade on UA they do not charge the tax.

Presume this is why MPM, particularly in ECON, seem to hardly make a difference. Looked at MIA for Oct; went from £600 to £550 ish - my guess is that as the 'fare' element is proportionally smaller, there is less scope for discounting.

What I also wonder is if staff flights are treated the same way - fuel surcharges, taxes, fees, etc. I suspect not. Staff 'reward' flights are very unlikely to cost the 1000+ in 'extras' to do a hop across the pond. So why are customer Reward flights?

I am not one for over-legislation, but abuse like this makes me feel the UK Government or EU should step in and cap them.

Even though UA havnt charged you UA will still have to pay the APD to the UK government on your ex-UK leg as well as the Us and UK airport fees.

Good chunk of that is VS fuel 'surcharge' which a lot of us think should be in the base fare but it suits VS (well most airlinea) to include it in the 'nasty' taxes and fees section and give the impression that its nothing to do with them!

Econ APD = £ 60.00
Econ Fuel Surcharge = £ 87.50 (one way)

For the trip that I am about to take, BA flights which are direct were a couple of hundred pounds more than flying with EK and changing in DXB - all because EK doesn't have YQ.

All these charges for rewards flights and they still make it tough to use them! Its a lose lose situation for many... although I still keep collecting.

Have to admit me too just spent shy of £1800 on 2 upper and 2 prem Econ reward flights still looking to uprgade the Premium seats lol

Was commenting on this to an experience US traveller yesterday, and they could truly not believe the numbers.

Their point is it is actually insulting to their frequent flyers - "a smack in the face" as he put it. Not what you want to do to your loyal high spenders.

Have to admit I'm seriously looking at my options after this. One realises that VS miles are worth far less that other airlines. If I can find a viable option, I'll move my business elsewhere.

Hi,

Can I ask a quick question.

If you use your miles to upgrade your seat at the check-in desk, do you still have to pay the extra fuel charges etc..?

I think UK government will charge APD on the class actually travelled- they are not interested in how you got it.

I realise fuel surcharge is contentious, but as one who is used to substantial APD on UC out of the UK as that's where I llive and fly from are we seriously different from the rest of the world. It's supposed to penance for not being "green" is it not and that is a global issue

If you use your miles to upgrade your seat at the check-in desk, do you still have to pay the extra fuel charges etc..?

Yes

Good chunk of that is VS fuel 'surcharge' which a lot of us think should be in the base fare but it suits VS (well most airlinea) to include it in the 'nasty' taxes and fees section and give the impression that its nothing to do with them!

Econ APD = £ 60.00
Econ Fuel Surcharge = £ 87.50 (one way)

For the trip that I am about to take, BA flights which are direct were a couple of hundred pounds more than flying with EK and changing in DXB - all because EK doesn't have YQ.

I'm sure EK does have a 'fuel surcharge' but it is included in the base fare which is where it should be included !