Airport Taxes

[poppet]

Does anyone know of any websites where I can check how much the airline taxes for my trip should be? I have quotes from 2 travel agents, with different amounts quoted for taxes , so I am interested to find out which one is correct.

TIA

 

[ioki]

this URL maybe of some interest!

Taxes

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Amounts may differ depending on whether some transfers are treated as stopover or transit. Eg LHR, HKG.

Since fuel surcharge is often included in "taxes", the issuing and operating airlines can make a big difference.

 

[Happy Dude]

The same situation prompted an interesting article in the Melb Age on Saturday (28/10) in the travel section by Clive Dorman. Someone had received very different quotes from different operators for identical bookings. The article implied that many operators hide fare costs in the "taxes and surcharges" to gain a competitive edge in the market place. The ol' "put up a low fare to catch the eye and bung an asterisk next to it, and make up the difference in taxes/surcharges" trick.

The article went on to say that almost all TA's and airlines do it simple because everyone does it. The problem is worse for operators registered outside Australia. Qantas doesn't, apparently, because they display the full fare early in the booking process as opposed to the JQ/DJ method of displaying the fare including "taxes and surcharges" near the end.

I would ask the TA for a breakdown of the quote and how it was calculated. This info might not be of much use if there is no way of checking the actual costs levied by the airports, airlines, gvment etc (particularly for international itineries), or even if the charge is legitimate. How easy would it be to conjure up a fee for "airline passenger movement" and bury it in the "taxes and surcharges"?

My guess is that it's open slather for the operators to manipulate the add-on fees until the ACCC step in to regulate and inform the consumer exactly what add-ons are allowed.

 

[NM]

I would ask the TA for a breakdown of the quote and how it was calculated. This info might not be of much use if there is no way of checking the actual costs levied by the airports, airlines, gvment etc (particularly for international itineries), or even if the charge is legitimate. How easy would it be to conjure up a fee for "airline passenger movement" and bury it in the "taxes and surcharges"?

My guess is that it's open slather for the operators to manipulate the add-on fees until the ACCC step in to regulate and inform the consumer exactly what add-ons are allowed.

The actual taxes and charges can be determined from information published by the airlines and other bodies. Its just that it can be hard to find and even harder to understand, especially exemptions, application etc. For a complex itinerary such as an ATW fare, I always perform my own estimate first so I know if the TA or airline is overcharging. I have found some of these people have made mistakes and have been able to point it out and have it recalculated. Most time, however, the variation is small and due to exchange rate differences.

An e-ticket receipt should show the breakdown of taxes and surcharges. It should show the YQ component (fuel surcharges) and the remaining Tax component. And in all cases you can request the Tax component breakdown. This is shown in the booking as a list of codes and numbers. Most TAs will not want to provide a written description of the individual taxes and charges, but you can request the tax construction and look them up for yourself. It will show in the GDS system as a string of characters - just ask them to copy and paste for you.

 

[stryker]

Qantas doesn't, apparently, because they display the full fare early in the booking process as opposed to the JQ/DJ method of displaying the fare including "taxes and surcharges" near the end.

Haven't noticed DJ doing this.

They seem pretty up front about it, which is better than 99% of other airlines.

 

[poppet]

Thanks everyone. ioki that URL was just what I needed . I think the level of taxes is way too high though!

Have a good weekend.