Taxes and fees 3X the base fare

Just went to make a booking for September and taxes and fees are 3X the base fare! HA!

Yup, it's ridiculous. Just a stunning stupid scenario that VS (and BA) structure their fares like this on the basis of "Oh fuel has gone up, we must adjust the surcharge"!

Yup, it's ridiculous. Just a stunning stupid scenario that VS (and BA) structure their fares like this on the basis of "Oh fuel has gone up, we must adjust the surcharge"!

And of course fuel never goes down.....

Edit: I think this is the biggest difference I have ever seen between the base fare and the taxes and fees. Anyone else seen worse examples?

Remember the bulk of the 'taxes etc' is THE VS fuel surcharge which is NOT a TAX and NOT a FEE

Anyone else seen worse examples?

When the sales come around, the base Y fare can be around $50 :0 !

As Tonty says the crippling factor is nothing to do with any 'tax' - it is simply what VS choose to brand their 'Fuel & Insurance Surcharge'. It's staggering that this alone accounts for 64% of the overall tax/fee total for Upper Class:

Amazingly the percentage rises to 66% if flying in Economy, simply because, unlike the UK APD which halves for Economy, VS do not half their surcharge.

Thanks
James

... and yet there is no campaign or pressure from any regulator or consumer group to get this sorted out.

I've paid just short of £1,000 fees and taxes for 2 PE out and Upper return reward tickets to Hong Kong. Although it sounds a lot I'm still saving £3,000! But still thinking VA should drop the fuel surcharge. It also included a £13.80 credit card charge, which I feel you need to use for extra protection if anything goes wrong with the flight.

That is a great deal on the base fare though - the same price as a one way London to Birmingham !! admittedly in first but still not exactly the same as 3500 miles to NY.

There are some good deals on NY/BOS flights later in this year, but the reductions are all done on the base fare - I can see some where the base if £65 return versus £301 in fees... so nearly up to a 5x ratio there!

There are some good deals on NY/BOS flights later in this year, but the reductions are all done on the base fare

Ahh, canny that isn't it

That is a great deal on the base fare though - the same price as a one way London to Birmingham !! admittedly in first but still not exactly the same as 3500 miles to NY.

It is a pretty good deal, £465. But I bought a return ticket back in April on VS for under £400, which was a great deal.