"Online air charges confuse buyers"

[Evening Star]

Interesting BBC News article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4371577.stm) . Main point is the allegation by a watchdog that some airlines think up some of the charges paid when booking a ticket online.

[bealine]

Of course they do - it's the same in any business that finds itself withever decreasing margins - look at the explosion of 0870 phone numbers in the UK (where the receiver of the call reaps the lions share of the call charges)!!!

The Marketing Boys have to be ever more creative!

Check out e-bay! If you pick any "Buy It Now" item, you will not only find wild price variations, but the lower prices often disguise exaggerated postage and packing charges!

Caveat Emptor!!!

[Irish Steve]

Check out e-bay! If you pick any "Buy It Now" item, you will not only find wild price variations, but the lower prices often disguise exaggerated postage and packing charges!

When the seller/shipper is not in the UK, and Hong Kong is the favourite for this trick, it's deliberate, it reduces the value that has to be declared on the customs declaration, which often means it gets in without any duty, but if they sold it for a more realistic price with lower shipping and handling, then it attracts duty.

Cute trick.:D :D

[BRS_Dispatch]

I don't see what all the fuss is about. Ok Ryanair (for example) might advertise a seat for 99p, but that is what the seat costs. It clearly says that the price excludes all taxes and even before you click to pay, the website showes the prices including taxes.

[skydriller]

I think what annoys me is the double standards......

Everything else you buy in Europe has one all-inclusive price....
....EXCEPT airline tickets.

But they say that these charges are imposed upon them from elsewhere.....

....OK, but when you buy a not re-fundable ticket can you get these extra charges back if you cancel the flight? After all they are not anything to do with the airline, right? Well actually no, with some carriers you used to be able to do this (BA), but as pax have caught on to this, now you apparently cannot....

So which is it? An all inclusive price, or not?

Just my opinion......

Regards, SD..

[Globaliser]

Evening Star: Interesting BBC News article . Main point is the allegation by a watchdog that some airlines think up some of the charges paid when booking a ticket online.I read the underlying AUC report this morning. It was good loo reading. Fortunately for the dignity of the AUC, there was some good Andrex available.

What the reporting misses (probably deliberately) is the subtleties underlying the practice. It's not just a question of thinking up a fare and then whacking on lots of hidden surcharges on top. The report discusses the example of the £4 shorthaul fuel surcharge. The advertised headline lead-in price (which must now be all-inclusive) stayed the same. The applicable base fare on which the headline was based was reduced by £4 to match.

However, although the report recognises the subtleties, the analysis is crap.

[ManAtTheBack]

Heathrow to Madrid 15/18 April

BA £33.00+£33.00 plus APPROX extras of £37.60 =£99.70
(Actual extras = £33.70) What is there to estimate when the route and dates are fixed?

BMI £33+£55 with no warning of extras. When total price is clicked the £32.20 is added.

Ryanair Stansted to Girona 15-18 April

£12.99+7.99. Extras of £22.14 added in after selection of both fares.

On none of the websites can I find a detailed breakdown of these extras.

Whilst these, and the additional credit card fees are stated I do find it annoying.

After all I do not find in my local supermarket "Baked Beans 27p with delivery to the store charge of 9p" or at my local garage "Car £6,995" only to get inside to find "Extra charge for wheels £895."

If we have to pay it then, IMHO, I should be included in the basic price.