FlyBe charges
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FlyBe charges
I have got a weeks holiday in September and thought that I would go down to the Eden Project for a look.
I considered going Gla-Ext with FlyBe and on looking for flights for 2 going down 7/9 and returning 9/9 was offered flights at £18 each person.
On going to the next page the flights had chnged to a total cost of £146 pounds, quite a difference.
The cost is broken down as follows:
2 x £18 each way= £72 pounds
2 times charges @£37 each way= £74 pounds
I find that £74 quite staggering and it is quite amazing how the costs suddenly double on moving on a page.
Don't think FlyBe will get my business now.
I considered going Gla-Ext with FlyBe and on looking for flights for 2 going down 7/9 and returning 9/9 was offered flights at £18 each person.
On going to the next page the flights had chnged to a total cost of £146 pounds, quite a difference.
The cost is broken down as follows:
2 x £18 each way= £72 pounds
2 times charges @£37 each way= £74 pounds
I find that £74 quite staggering and it is quite amazing how the costs suddenly double on moving on a page.
Don't think FlyBe will get my business now.
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£73 return each, for a 500 mile flight - sounds like a reasonable price to me, especially considering most of the cash is going to the government or airports. How much would PIK-STN-NQY be - £££££s?
Understand the Flybe flights are packed full everyday anyway.
Petrol for your car or the train fare for the same journey would be that kind of money too - not to mention taking 6 times longer.
How much do you think is reasonable?
Understand the Flybe flights are packed full everyday anyway.
Petrol for your car or the train fare for the same journey would be that kind of money too - not to mention taking 6 times longer.
How much do you think is reasonable?
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Runway 31
Out of interest I checked the easyJet booking site for Glasgow-Bristol. On the dates you mentioned you could get return flights for two people for £71.96 (or £35.98 for one person), including taxes and charges. You would also have a choice of flights on both days.
Presumably you would hire a car once you reached the south west so you would have to decide whether the saving in air fares was worth the extra seventy miles each way from Bristol to Cornwall compared to Exeter to Cornwall.
As Waveman says I believe the Flybe flights are doing well out of EXT so presumably Flybe is happy with its prices.
Out of interest I checked the easyJet booking site for Glasgow-Bristol. On the dates you mentioned you could get return flights for two people for £71.96 (or £35.98 for one person), including taxes and charges. You would also have a choice of flights on both days.
Presumably you would hire a car once you reached the south west so you would have to decide whether the saving in air fares was worth the extra seventy miles each way from Bristol to Cornwall compared to Exeter to Cornwall.
As Waveman says I believe the Flybe flights are doing well out of EXT so presumably Flybe is happy with its prices.
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I am not saying that the final fare is too unreasonable. I object however to a first viewing £18 fare becoming double just by going onto an additional page.
I think that these details should be included on the same page as the £18 per person each way.
I feel cheated when I go onto the next page and the cost suddenly jumps.
By the way I am not singling out FlyBe as all airlines do the same and feel that more transparency would be gained by showing and detailing these additional charges earlier in the process.
I do not consider surcharges for additional fuel costs appropriate as these should be included in the cost of the flight before charges. This is probably appropriate for all additional costs as it may be more honest to only have one cost displayed i.e what you will actually have to hand over.
I think that these details should be included on the same page as the £18 per person each way.
I feel cheated when I go onto the next page and the cost suddenly jumps.
By the way I am not singling out FlyBe as all airlines do the same and feel that more transparency would be gained by showing and detailing these additional charges earlier in the process.
I do not consider surcharges for additional fuel costs appropriate as these should be included in the cost of the flight before charges. This is probably appropriate for all additional costs as it may be more honest to only have one cost displayed i.e what you will actually have to hand over.
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Transparency is exactly what the airlines are trying to offer you. By breaking down the charges levied by each service provider involved.
Yes it could be said that any fuel surcharge or insurance surcharge should be included within the cost of the air ticket however PSC and APD (Govt tax) should not.
This system allows you to see what you are paying to whom. It is a stark reminder that the airlines are continuing to reduce the cost of travel to the consumer with the airports/government increasing the cost of travel for all of us. How do you feel about paying £18 for your flight down to Exeter only to have to pay another £18 to walk through the terminal when you get there.
Maybe it is not the airlines who should have your frustrations directed at them!
Yes it could be said that any fuel surcharge or insurance surcharge should be included within the cost of the air ticket however PSC and APD (Govt tax) should not.
This system allows you to see what you are paying to whom. It is a stark reminder that the airlines are continuing to reduce the cost of travel to the consumer with the airports/government increasing the cost of travel for all of us. How do you feel about paying £18 for your flight down to Exeter only to have to pay another £18 to walk through the terminal when you get there.
Maybe it is not the airlines who should have your frustrations directed at them!
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Jobsagoodun,
"It is a stark reminder that the airlines are continuing to reduce the cost of travel to the consumer with the airports/government increasing the cost of travel for all of us"
I don't know if that's always true. This government reduced APD from £10 to £5 for internal flights, much to the chagrin of the environment lobby. There have been numerous posts about airport charges - considerable reductions at MAN, all those Ryanairport deals, and presumably a good rate for ww to move into BHX. Going back to the petrol argument, who's taxed less, the air passenger or the driver?
"It is a stark reminder that the airlines are continuing to reduce the cost of travel to the consumer with the airports/government increasing the cost of travel for all of us"
I don't know if that's always true. This government reduced APD from £10 to £5 for internal flights, much to the chagrin of the environment lobby. There have been numerous posts about airport charges - considerable reductions at MAN, all those Ryanairport deals, and presumably a good rate for ww to move into BHX. Going back to the petrol argument, who's taxed less, the air passenger or the driver?
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Rw31, yes the fare is cheap, yes taxes are expensive, however the total fare inc. tax is not that great. Every airline has this 'problem', Flybe, easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways. Seventy quid return from Glasgow to Exeter is very comparable to train, and a lot cheaper than it would have been 10 years ago (that is if you actually had the option of going to Exeter then), so I'd suggest you stop whingeing and just book it.
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Take the FlyBE flight!
I've often flown Glasgow to Bristol with Easyjet and BA, followed by the drive down to Exeter. It's a fairly lengthy drive as Bristol airport isn't terribly convenient for the motorway - and it's speed trap hell too.
Was my bad luck the FlyBE flights started just after my job changed so no more Exeter trips were needed.
I've often flown Glasgow to Bristol with Easyjet and BA, followed by the drive down to Exeter. It's a fairly lengthy drive as Bristol airport isn't terribly convenient for the motorway - and it's speed trap hell too.
Was my bad luck the FlyBE flights started just after my job changed so no more Exeter trips were needed.
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Perhaps you ought to contact the Air Transport Users Council, the look into such issues.
http://www.caa.co.uk/auc/default.asp
The key issue really is are these "taxes and charges" passed on "at cost" or are they a way of making extra money.
http://www.caa.co.uk/auc/default.asp
The key issue really is are these "taxes and charges" passed on "at cost" or are they a way of making extra money.
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The cheapest return rail fare to Exeter is about £72. The journey time is 7.5 hours. I think the plane wins.
You could also fly to Bristol and then to either Plymouth or Newquay. Don't know what the fares are though.
You could also fly to Bristol and then to either Plymouth or Newquay. Don't know what the fares are though.
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By the way I am not singling out FlyBe as all airlines do the same
Every fare advertised comes with all the taxes and charges in there.
Some of us are transparent!
TA
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Runway 31....you don't even merit a reply....you are a loco convert (FARE play) but you can still manage to complain when you don't travel for £10 is beyond me...cop on that's a good deal. They need a margin on some fares! However, Brabazon has made a really good point that has gone unnoticed. How many airlines get long term discounted deals from the airlports, yet factor the full charges into fare calculations from day one?
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Can anyone answer this:-
If you pay £3.00 for the round trip and £35 for tax and charges, and then dont turn up how do the airlines put it through there books and I presume this is the way they make some money. Is it legal to retain the taxes and charges that are not used. If so the are not taxes and charges but part of the fare!!!!
AAK10
If you pay £3.00 for the round trip and £35 for tax and charges, and then dont turn up how do the airlines put it through there books and I presume this is the way they make some money. Is it legal to retain the taxes and charges that are not used. If so the are not taxes and charges but part of the fare!!!!
AAK10
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OWZ
If you write to the airline concerned, they will refund you - although some will charge you an admin fee equivalent to the refund!!
How does it go through the books? The taxes and charges are collected by the airline, recorded by the systems, and paid to C&E and the airports concerned - based on heads travelled, not booked. So if you don't claim, it is 100% airline revenue!
TA
If you write to the airline concerned, they will refund you - although some will charge you an admin fee equivalent to the refund!!
How does it go through the books? The taxes and charges are collected by the airline, recorded by the systems, and paid to C&E and the airports concerned - based on heads travelled, not booked. So if you don't claim, it is 100% airline revenue!
TA
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There are at least two aspects to it all.
One is transparency. Sure, breaking out the landing fees etc lets me see how much they are - but if it's as innocent as that, why not just show the all-inclusive price at the start of the booking process, and then at the end say "by the way, of this £x, £y is fare and £z is taxes and charges". No, it's all about luring the punter in with a low fare and then adding stuff on once he/she is at the end of the booking process and psychologically more committed. If you have some time on your hands, go over to ryanair.com and flick through the different national sites. You'll see that some show prices inclusive of taxes (because the national consumer protection regulations in those countries demand it) and others (step forward, UK) don't.
The other aspect (and Brabazon is as usual quite right
) , is whether the taxes and charges shown are the ones the airline is actually paying. In general, I would suggest that the answer is no. The landing fees shown will be the airport's published tariff, but it's common for a new operator to be attracted to an airport by means of discounts to the landing fee (especially in the case of private airports, but also, Charleroi ruling notwithstanding, at some publicly-owned airports.) Thus e.g. the published tariff is £12 per passenger, and that's the "landing fee" or "airport charge" the airline charges you as a passenger buying a ticket, but meanwhile they have a deal with the airport that they really only pay £6 (or £3, or £0) per passenger.
I know - I've had this proposed to me by airports trying to win service from my (former) airline:
'We'll give you a 50% discount off the published landing fees. You can still show the full published fee under "taxes/charges" and charge that to your passengers, so you'll get a few quid more yield.'
'No I can't, because we quote all our fares inclusive of taxes and charges, so as not to dupe the customer trying to book.'
'Oh...'
(well done Air Wales
for including the taxes and charges - hope there'll be others following your example. And RIP duo. 
)
One is transparency. Sure, breaking out the landing fees etc lets me see how much they are - but if it's as innocent as that, why not just show the all-inclusive price at the start of the booking process, and then at the end say "by the way, of this £x, £y is fare and £z is taxes and charges". No, it's all about luring the punter in with a low fare and then adding stuff on once he/she is at the end of the booking process and psychologically more committed. If you have some time on your hands, go over to ryanair.com and flick through the different national sites. You'll see that some show prices inclusive of taxes (because the national consumer protection regulations in those countries demand it) and others (step forward, UK) don't.
The other aspect (and Brabazon is as usual quite right
) , is whether the taxes and charges shown are the ones the airline is actually paying. In general, I would suggest that the answer is no. The landing fees shown will be the airport's published tariff, but it's common for a new operator to be attracted to an airport by means of discounts to the landing fee (especially in the case of private airports, but also, Charleroi ruling notwithstanding, at some publicly-owned airports.) Thus e.g. the published tariff is £12 per passenger, and that's the "landing fee" or "airport charge" the airline charges you as a passenger buying a ticket, but meanwhile they have a deal with the airport that they really only pay £6 (or £3, or £0) per passenger. I know - I've had this proposed to me by airports trying to win service from my (former) airline:
'We'll give you a 50% discount off the published landing fees. You can still show the full published fee under "taxes/charges" and charge that to your passengers, so you'll get a few quid more yield.'
'No I can't, because we quote all our fares inclusive of taxes and charges, so as not to dupe the customer trying to book.'
'Oh...'
(well done Air Wales
for including the taxes and charges - hope there'll be others following your example. And RIP duo. )
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I've always understood Flybe have advertised their fares (on buses, taxis etc) as inclusive of taxes for quite a while, although isn't this now a requirement for all airlines to do?
