A while ago BA said they needed to charge/increase the fuel surcharge to prevent losses.
Now on the Beeb site they announced a 36% earnings increase due to favourable exchange rates and increased fuel surcharges.
So is this journalistic hype or are BA being gready with their surcharges to make a profit?
Beeb Poop direct extract
(No I do like to see our national carrier do well but I don't like to be ripped off as a customer either).
British Airways (BA) saw earnings rise 36% in the first quarter as first and business class passenger numbers rose.
The airline said operating profit for the three months to July was £176m ($313.1m), compared to £129m last year.
BA added it thought full year earnings would be higher than forecast due to favourable exchange rates and increased fuel surcharges.
Europe's second largest airline said it now expected total revenue for the year to March 2006 to grow by 5.5% to 6.5%.
In June, BA increased its fuel surcharge on airline tickets for the second time this year.
The yield and revenue situation is improving at a faster rate than the fuel cost increase
Nick van den Brul, BNP Paribas
Check the BA share price
It hiked up the surcharge on each long-haul return ticket to £48 ($87) from £32, and increased it to £16 from £10 on short haul flights.
Guys if you rip the customer off they wont travel!
I here this all the time from customers of my own moaning about flight charges etc.
