Virgin Velocity TWO41 bookings - Taxes?

[Coops1]

Howdy

Booked our 1st TWO41 deal last week, and I continually questioned the rep over the final price, with no real answers.
It was $120.10 when the online price was $99 for the same fare.

I get the reservation details and the fare is made up of the following:
$98.24 Fare (the same as the online saver lite price which included taxes)
$6.45 Immigration Tax
$3.75 International Safety and Security Charge
$11.66 Head Tax
$120.10 Total + the normal booking fees of $7.70 per booking

The flight is domestic, anybody know what the go is with the taxes ? I don't mind the booking fees, but international taxes on a domestic flight...ridiculous!
Note: I have emailed, but no response in 10 days. (they say it can be 15 days for a response!!!)

Cheers
Coops1

 

[eastwest101]

Howdy

Booked our 1st TWO41 deal last week, and I continually questioned the rep over the final price, with no real answers.
It was $120.10 when the online price was $99 for the same fare.

I get the reservation details and the fare is made up of the following:
$98.24 Fare (the same as the online saver lite price which included taxes)
$6.45 Immigration Tax
$3.75 International Safety and Security Charge
$11.66 Head Tax
$120.10 Total + the normal booking fees of $7.70 per booking

What I could suggest is go into Matrix - ITA Software and reconstruct your own particular one way or return flights, or maybe just ring VA and ask them to provide you with answers about what they are.

If its really a domestic sector I think what you may be seeing is extra taxes fee and surcharges being misallocated possibly due to booking system problems. In the reservation details there may be some two letter codes that look something like this:



The above example, is a simple one way BNE-SYD Q class fare flight on VA, note the area in blue and also the smaller grey area which should be consistent with some of the fees that you may be seeing? Now these two letter codes are all in the murky and rather secretive world of fees, surcharges and taxes, that are devilishly complicated and I would not be surprised if your original 2 for 1 assisted booking over the phone could have triggered genuine fees, taxes and surcharges that are allowed but may be mis-represented or possibly unclear in the reservation details.

Could be a genuine mistake made in the booking process (not an unknown event - given the state of the VA web site/Sabre issues that they were having!)

 

[Coops1]

Cheers, appreciate the response and link to that website (cool!). Will speak to Virgin and see what they say.

 

[bnbmelb]

Just booked (or still trying to) a flight from OOL - MEL using the 241 in J. Got a quote last night, but needed to confirm dates. Rang back this morning and the price had gone up $120, but the flight prices on the Virgin Website hadn't changed, still 8 J seats available. So i rang back and got another operator, who confirmed a price $50 less than the quote last night. Hmm, happy day's, I'll book. Was using a Virgin Voucher which had issues (another story), but this meant i had to hang up, sort it out and then call them back. This time the flight was $150 more than last night. Thoroughly confused, I didn't book it and thought I should play Call Center Bingo and see if I won. Sure enough, called back, got another operator, who confirmed the price as $20 less than last night. Voucher still causing a problem, but I have left it in their capable hands.

The taxes must be manually calculated by the operator. Not sure how else the price can fluctuate so much. Oh, and by using the Matrix tool (which is really cool), the fares should have been what i was originally quoted last night.

 

[Fruitcake]

...Was using a Virgin Voucher which had issues (another story), but this meant i had to hang up, sort it out and then call them back.

Interesting to hear that the agent was willing to accept payment using the voucher at all, given the T&Cs of the 2-for-1 offer specify payment using the Virgin Flyer card.

 

[bnbmelb]

Interesting to hear that the agent was willing to accept payment using the voucher at all, given the T&Cs of the 2-for-1 offer specify payment using the Virgin Flyer card.

The T&C's actually state:

The following forms of payment will only be accepted when using the offer: Virgin Flyer Credit Card;Virgin High Flyer Credit Card and Virgin Australia Group AUD Gift Vouchers.


There is a 2% charge for buying voucher, but saves $61.60 in unnecessary CC charges.

 

[Fruitcake]

The T&C's actually state:...

Oops, I stand corrected. Thanks!