Airline fees: The $500 surprise (fuel surcharges)

[phantom power]

With the price of oil surging, travelers to Paris and other European cities will pay an extra $420 as a fuel surcharge, according to BestFares.com. Taxes and other fees can add another $100 or more.

For domestic travel, the cost of fuel is often lumped in to the base ticket price, although fuel surcharges are occasionally added on as well. Still, they are much higher on international travel partly because of the long haul.

"Fuel is killing us" said John Lampl, a spokesman for British Airways. "It started spiking really because of the whole Libya speculation," he said, "now we're paying billions each year on fuel. It's gotten so out of whack that we have to pass on some of the fuel surcharge, otherwise we would be suffering tremendous losses."

Despite the Middle East turmoil spooking the oil market, fuel surcharges are hardly new. What's new is how much more expensive they've become.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/22/pf/airline_fees_rise/index.htm

[BlueJazz]

1. Can't very well blame them. When I went to Australia last year the cost was about 10 cents per mile.

Pretty damn good deal.
I imagine now the cost to fly a 747 to Australia must be hugh.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

3. Hugh?

How about we stop speculation and derivative trading on oil futures?

[BlueJazz]

4. Hugh came from a Teabagger that had a protest sign that said.. >>

"stop spending...are debt is hugh !!!"

(yes...she spelled our as are) :) :)

[Tesha]

2. Soon, the ads will scream "Free Travel!!!*"

* Plus shipping and handling.

It looks like they're learning from "As Seen on TV".

Tesha

[hatrack]

5. "But wait! There's more! Much, much more!"

"And I don't mean that in a positive sense!"