$750 pp fuel surcharge on Thai HELP!

[BettyBoop]

Hi all!

We've booked a package thru Flight Centre for the 18th September to Bangkok 1 week onto coughet one week and back to MEL.

Get a phone call this morning from the agent telling us that Thai are charging an extra $750 pp fuel surcharge unless full payment is made by 15/06.

Has anyone heard of such a huge surcharge?

Anybody got any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Travel Guru]

Hi all!

We've booked a package thru Flight Centre for the 18th September to Bangkok 1 week onto coughet one week and back to MEL.

Get a phone call this morning from the agent telling us that Thai are charging an extra $750 pp fuel surcharge unless full payment is made by 15/06.

Has anyone heard of such a huge surcharge?

Anybody got any suggestions?

Thanks!

$750pp give me a break, i think you're being rorted...i've never in the history of fuel surcharges heard of them going up by $375 a sector at once.

I've had no emails through pertaining to TG increasing their fuel surcharges.

Let me see what I can find out and i'll get back to you asap.

TG

 

[Travel Guru]

I just rang and spoke to a wholesaler to double check, apparantly they are going up as of 20 June, though they didn't know how much by.

I would be extremely surprised given their current level if they were going up by $750pp.

If you can leave it until Monday morning, i'll call Thai and find out exactly how much their going up on that route and let you know.

If you're concerned, which I would be at their suggestion of $750pp, get onto the Flight Centre complaints line on 1800 117 747 and let them know your concerns, but if you can wait until I know the exact figure it might help.

If they have lied to you, I would be calling the complaints line and letting them know you're going to put in a complaint with fair trading for illegally try to charge taxes which don't exist (it is against the law).

Unfortunately if they are going up, you really have no choice but to pay, as they need to ticket the flights, though if moneys a concern, you should be able to arrange to pay the air portion to enable that to be ticketed depending on which wholesaler they've used, but certainly if its their in house supplier they could do that.

I'll get back to you on Monday with some more information.

Sorry to hear FC are trying to rort you or coerce you into paying early.

TG

 

[Keith009]

This might provide a clue:
THAI adjusts fuel surcharge on International flights - Nationmultimedia.com

I agree that a $750 pp increase does sound excessive.

 

[oz_mark]

The link from QF009 suggests a 10USD per sector increase (ex Australia). How that gets to $750 is beyond me.

 

[Dave Noble]

What is the Thai surcharge currently and how many passengers?

Currently it would seem to be about USD129 per person ( AUD158 ) and that it is going up to USD149 (AUD183 ) . The OP did say "we" , so if there are 4 passengers travelling then that would be getting close to the $750 that was mentioned

The comment "that Thai are charging an extra $750 pp fuel surcharge unless full payment is made by 15/06." from FC could be that they are saying that the total additional Fuel Surcharge cost will be $750 from 16th June rather than that it is increasing by an amount of $750

Dave

 

[albatross710]

Unfortunately if they are going up, you really have no choice but to pay, as they need to ticket the flights, though if moneys a concern, you should be able to arrange to pay the air portion to enable that to be ticketed depending on which wholesaler they've used, but certainly if its their in house supplier they could do that.
TG

Thanks for the inside efforts TG. There is an alternative which is to considering letting the booking lapse depending upon how much has already been paid.

I wonder if the current SQ deals might be as attractive? (attractive being for the OP, not attractive for FC!)

FC did a similar thing like this to me. Said I had to ticket QF by a particular Friday. On the next day, Saturday, Emirates advertised new fares $800 below the original QF price. As it turned out I hadn't given FC the go ahead in time and I was better off.

 

[BettyBoop]

Thank you all so much for the info!

TG u are a God/Goddess I'll wait to hear any updates from you on Monday, thank you thank you!

After checking prices on the hotels and the airfare I'm *really* disappointed! First time in about 9 years I've gone thru a TA and it stinks! even without the surcharge.

Only reason for the TA is cos friends are doing the same itinery but different airline, thought it would be easier.

I've costed it up without transfers but all inclusive with hotels etc and come out about $1200.00 in front. Thats minus the $600 deposit I've paid to FC, thats if I was to cancel it.

Its even more looking at AirAsia.

And its for 2 people. I'm wondering if the FC guy heard right about the fuel surcharge, seems like someone has added on a 0 somewhere.

Thanks again guys, u rock!

 

[Gold Member]

Thank you all so much for the info!

TG u are a God/Goddess I'll wait to hear any updates from you on Monday, thank you thank you!

After checking prices on the hotels and the airfare I'm *really* disappointed! First time in about 9 years I've gone thru a TA and it stinks! even without the surcharge.

Only reason for the TA is cos friends are doing the same itinery but different airline, thought it would be easier.

I've costed it up without transfers but all inclusive with hotels etc and come out about $1200.00 in front. Thats minus the $600 deposit I've paid to FC, thats if I was to cancel it.

Its even more looking at AirAsia.

And its for 2 people. I'm wondering if the FC guy heard right about the fuel surcharge, seems like someone has added on a 0 somewhere.

Thanks again guys, u rock!

Hi BettyBoop

I'll let you into a little (now public) secret. Jetstar has roughly 50% of their star class fares to Bangkok and coughet for two travellers. If you are travelling in economy then this might be a nice option for points/status credits with Qantas as well as having a premium economy seat. Check their travel dates for availability of this rate.

Cheers, GM.

 

[Travel Guru]

Hi Betty,

I rang and spoke to someone at Thai this morning as promised.

Someone either had their wires crossed or they're trying to entice you to pay early...either way i'd be calling Flight Centre complaints and letting them know.

There is no change to the domestic sector fuel surcharge (ie BKK-coughet vv.), on the Australia-Bangkok sectors, its going up....wait for it.... US$10 per sector....bit different to A$750pp

It's going up from 20 June, so they could ticket up until 19 June to avoid it.

Hope that helps..let me know how you go, love to see the FC consultants face when they get caught out telling a porky pie.

TG

 

[bambbbam2]

Good detective work, TG !