[Anonymous]

[Cleancabinair]

See the reply from BA below to my enquiry on why there is such a difference in the taxes and surcharges on the same sector (DXB-LHR-DXB) in Economy class (full details at the bottom of the posting).
Not really much of an explanation as to why is such a difference …..AED is 950 or GBP 158 at AED 6 to the GBP…..

Remind anybody of the overcharging that BA was guilty of across the Atlantic and other long haul flights a couple of years back ?

Is Willie Walsh so very desperate that he has to charge almost 1/2 of the economy fare in taxes and surcharges?

Dear Mr. Stokes…….
Thank you very much for your time on the last week. It was very helpful to talk to you.
As discussed, British Airways applies a fuel surcharge on all flights to reflect the fluctuating price of worldwide oil. The amount of fuel surcharge collected depends on the flight duration and where the ticket was purchased. The surcharge applies to all passengers, including children and infants, on international and domestic flights. Further information about the current rates can be found on ba.com.
Thank you again for your time. We look forward to welcoming you on board again soon.
Best regards
Alison D……..
British Airways Customer Relations
Your case reference is:7442103

Flights and Price
Outbound – Wednesday 29 July 2009

02:00
29 Jul 06:20
29 Jul Dubai Heathrow (London) BA0106
British Airways World Traveller

Inbound – Thursday 6 August 2009

12:40
6 Aug 22:35
6 Aug Heathrow (London) Dubai BA0107
British Airways World Traveller

40000BA Miles
plus
1,395.00 AED
Price breakdown
Passenger BA Miles Taxes, fees, charges and surcharges* per person Inclusive total
1Adult 40000 1,395.00 AED 1,395.00AED

Flights
OUTBOUND Dubai, United Arab Emirates to London, United Kingdom
Flight Depart / Arrive Time Airport Duration / Stops Class / Aircraft
EK003
Wed
29 Jul 09 14:15 Dubai International Airport (DXB) 7hr 25min
0 Stops Economy
Boeing 777-300ER
Wed
29 Jul 09 18:40 London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
INBOUND London, United Kingdom to Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Flight Depart / Arrive Time Airport Duration / Stops Class / Aircraft
EK008
Thu
06 Aug 09 08:40 London Heathrow Airport (LHR) 6hr 50min
0 Stops Economy
Boeing 777-300
Thu
06 Aug 09 18:30 Dubai International Airport (DXB)
Included in your fare
• Award-winning gourmet cuisine and beverages
• Friendly, attentive service from a multilingual cabin crew
• A great range of entertainment, including movies, music and TV.
• Comfortable, reclining, ergonomically-designed seats
• Select your own seat at any time prior to check-in
• Save time at the airport by checking in online Terms and Conditions
Rewards Rules
Online Booking Terms & Conditions
Conditions of Carriage
Useful Information
Children travelling alone

Skywards miles
36000 Miles
Taxes and Fees
AED 445.00
• 1 Passenger, Economy
• Fare breakdown
Flight total
AED 445.00

[Travel-guru]

The simple answer is EK include fuel surcharge in ticket price whereas BA includes it in the taxes. Hence the appearance of massive differences.

[Cleancabinair]

Travelbunny:
Thanks for particiapting in this issue. I am not highlighting revenue tickets but redemption tickets so there is no place to hide the surcharges.
As an Executive Club member I am being discriminated against for using this privilege. Much as I criticise Emirates for their policies they do not apply such an exorbitant charge against its Skyward members.
Willie Walsh is making its loyal club members subsidise the airline even more although they have ‘done the pain’ already to get the ‘gain’ of the redemption tickets! Why bother fly with BA if they are going to charge you so much for the privilege of cashing in your points?
Another reason I shall not be a premium (silver/gold) member of the BA Executive Club in the coming year!
Any other fliers got a similar gripe with BA?

[GuyBetsy]

You really cannot comapre what one airline does with another… what you’re trying to do is to force BA to be like EK and well, different logistics not to mention place and economy.

If you’re unhappy, just move your business to EK.

[Cleancabinair]

Thanks GuyBetsy for your comments on this issue.
I am obviously not making my point clear here. I am not trying to make EK like BA in anyway although both airlines can learn from each other (considering Maurice Flanagan, Deputy Chairman has vast legacy & experience of BOAC / BA from years back). Rather I am asking British Airways to be more transparent with their additional charges. I have tried to analyse exactly how they add up and they dont! So either the Executive Club Members are paying extra for the privilege of using their points on BA for redemption tickets and BA are pocketing the difference or they are paying for the fuel surcharges for botched ‘hedging’ on fuel when the prices were sky-high in 2008. Neither scenario will help BA keep the BAEC members who are deserting the airline in droves for more transparent charges on their redemption tickets! So you could say to BA in earning the points ‘we have done the pain now give us the gain’!

[GuyBetsy]

Its not only just BA that has excessive fuel surcharges that are added to the ticket price as a surcharge or as a tax. Many european airlines do that notably KLM, AF (which has higher fuel surcharges than BA), any of the Lufthansa group of airlines ie LX, LH, OS, SN… and also the asian carriers like MH and SQ.

So BA isn’t alone.

[Author]

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