Dear Alex,
In the old days, when flying from Bangkok, passengers would buy an airport tax voucher from a counter for 500 baht. Today this tax is included in the ticket price, and it seems some carriers have beefed up the price to earn more cash.
When I tried booking a one-way Cathay Pacific flight between Bangkok and Hong Kong the airport tax was 1,185 baht, but when I checked with Thai Airways it was 1,385 baht. Is this correct? How can airlines get away with charging different prices for airport tax?
Ole Olesen, Stockholm
Alex replies:
You are confusing airport tax with what should be described as “taxes, fees and charges”. Not all carriers itemise the taxes they charge. When I checked with thaiairways.com I was none the wiser, but cathaypacific.com advises that the sum of 1,185 baht comprises 700 baht for airport tax along with 485 baht for fuel and insurance surcharges. Airlines charge different rates for fees and charges, and because some carriers, such as Thai, do not itemise the amounts, it’s impossible to know what is what.
