Profile: gadfly
This is gadfly's Profile page. Use it to view gadfly's comments, other users' replies to these comments, and comments gadfly has endorsed.
What's Happening Now
June 8, 2010 8:21 pm
I’ve (knock on wood) never had to cancel a flight after purchase, but that blows my mind. LHR, the last time I flew there, had $400 in taxes on each ticket. If I’d cancelled, the airline would have kept the airport’s money? That’s insane!
June 8, 2010 8:23 pm
No, no, no, no, no to a less-than-complete ban. If it’s not an outright ban, the airlines, hotels, and tour operators will quickly concoct schemes to give themselves the right to do whatever they want to their prices after the fact.
July 11, 2010 9:34 am
I agree.. the airlines should be required to post the entire cost of the ticket including fees and taxes.
No comments
Taxes and fees collected along with non-refundable fares should be refundable.
These are usually taxes or fees collected on behalf of the US or other governments and include such fees as border crossings, customs and agricultural inspection, taxes on ticket fares, security charges, airport use, etc.
When a ticket is canceled, these services are not used and the governments and other public facilities entitled to the fees do not receive them.
In effect, the airlines are stealing and pocketing money they collect on behalf of government entities!
The European Union already requires that airlines post FULL prices, including taxes/fees, at the very first presentation of fares. This is required for flights originating in Europe.
American airlines respect this rule when a passenger enters their foreign-based web site, but airlines do not respect the rule when a passenger books the same flight (originating in Europe) from the USA version of the airline’s web site.
This can be verified on Continental.com by selecting the country (US or other) at the top right of the web page and simulating a booking out of a European city.
Rule should require US airlines to show full fare regardless of which web site version is used.
Airlines do not use uniform presentation of taxes and fees, especially fuel surcharges.
Some airlines break out fuel surcharge when taxes/fees itemization is requested. Other airlines include fuel surcharge in basic fare, so its amount is concealed.
All airlines should be required to present fuel surcharge separately, along with other taxes/fees details.
The itemization should also apply to foreign carriers who fly into the USA. Some claim to passengers that they don’t know what the itemized taxes/fees are.
Airlines should be required to clearly distinguish among taxes, government-imposed fees and surcharges. Some airlines currently label as “taxes” fees and surcharges they themselves impose.