Award booking Taxes.

[Bindibuys]

1 more flight to book DXB - HKG wanting to try EK F.
Dummy booking on earlier date has the taxes (amount I have to pay) at $1097.80 (at todays exchange rate)
Yet, if I book CX J I am only going to be up for $105.00

Can someone explain the charges that go with award bookings? (I thought being taxes, it would be the same $ for the same route - obviously not )

 

[homemade]

1 more flight to book DXB - HKG wanting to try EK F.
Dummy booking on earlier date has the taxes (amount I have to pay) at $1097.80 (at todays exchange rate)
Yet, if I book CX J I am only going to be up for $105.00

Can someone explain the charges that go with award bookings? (I thought being taxes, it would be the same $ for the same route - obviously not )

it varies by airline. CX don't pass on fuel surcharges for award bookings (either through Asia Miles or QFF), EK do.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I don't know that anyone can give a fully logical explanation. The best I can do is to say that it varies enormously, so you need to consider all options.

 

[andye]

'Taxes' is just shorthand for the copayment that comes with a reward ticket (airlines also use this to minimise the amount of discount they are obliged to honour on corporate fares I understand)

Some airlines only charge the official taxes, some a so-called fuel surcharge which rarely has any relation to the cost of fuel.
For example AA VA EY have low surcharges, SQ EK QF BA MH high surcharges. CX tends to be in the middle (surcharges ex-HKG are regulated, I think Brazil is similar)
However there are areas (eg QF BA award tickets on AA metal) where the copay is low

Worth weighing up when evaluating a FF programme and best use of points.

 

[Bindibuys]

Thank you, make sense now. Booking 7 award flights to find that this one is the most expensive. (QF, RJ, QR, CX, EK)
Guess its just what I have to pay for that shower and F experience.
Even QF F SYD/DBX was only $800.00 for 14 hour flight.

 

[Mattg]

The "taxes" can make an enourmous difference to the cost of redeeming points. They can be virtually non-existent, or many hundreds of dollars per flight. It really depends on the program you're using, and the airline you're flying. And the "fuel surcharges" are rarely linked to the cost of fuel.

In Australia, Qantas charges relatively high fuel surcharges on award bookings. Virgin doesn't charge any, so in many respects the Velocity program offers better value once this is taken into account.