My first US Airways *A J reward: High taxes?

[haydensydney]

After being alerted to the awesome J fares available with the US Airways bonus points campaign, I went through the rig-ma-roll to create the accounts (for me and +1), buy the points and finally get onto a rep in the US Airways call centre to book.

Thats 50 minutes of my life I will not get back - it must've been amateur hour but at least she had a good personality.

Anyway, we are flying SYD-ICN-LHR-ICN-SYD in J and all on Asiana. A friend booked a similar trip recently (though one way via BKK) and the taxes came to $150 return. In our case, our taxes are $530 USD each! Does that sound right?

I'm going to speak with my friend who got the cheap taxes and try figure out why there is such a discrepancy. Can anyone else offer a more suitable explanation?

All up we have paid $3000 each for return to Europe in J. Still a great deal - I just don't want to wear a taxes stuff up.

 

[trooper]

Could it be the APD ex LHR that is piling it on?

I flew SYD-BKK-ICN-SFO-ORD//DEN-YVR-NRT-PEK-SYD and paid taxes of $209... so there is something going on with yours!

 

[jgm]

It looks like you are getting out of it quite well. Note the LHR APD of $264.80. IT Matrix shows:
[TABLE="class: dijitReset fareDetails, width: 0"]
[TR]
[TD]Fare 1: Carrier OZ JRX7AU SYD to LON (rules)
Passenger type ADT, round trip fare, booking code J
Covers SYD-ICN (Business), ICN-LHR (Business)[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$2,525.50[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Fare 2: Carrier OZ JRX7AU LON to SYD (rules)
Passenger type ADT, round trip fare, booking code J
Covers LHR-ICN (Business), ICN-SYD (Business)[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$2,525.50[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD](YQ)[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$500.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]OZ YQ surcharge (YQ)[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$5.20[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Rep. of Korea Intl. PSC, Dep. Tax and Contribution to Intl. Poverty Eradication (BP)[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$32.60[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Australian Passenger Movement Charge (AU)[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$55.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY)[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$25.92[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY)[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$25.92[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]United Kingdom Air Passengers Duty (GB)[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$264.80[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]United Kingdom Passenger Service Charge (UB)[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$57.00[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="class: fareSubTotalRule"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Subtotal per passenger[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$6,017.44[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Number of passengers[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]x1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="class: fareTotalRule"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: fareTotal"]
[TD="class: totalLabel"]TOTAL AIRFARE & TAXES[/TD]
[TD="class: farePrice, align: right"]AU$6,017.44[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

• Changes to this ticket will incur a penalty fee.

 

[anat0l]

Just ran the rough numbers through ITA on a cash ticket. It's pretty close to what you got charged, assuming that the USD 530 also includes your booking service charge. Had I included the YQ (assumed not charged by US DM) the total would've been far higher than USD 530.

Only way to find out (I believe) would be to call the agent and ask for a detailed breakdown of the taxes, fees and surcharges (complete with two-letter charge codes).

For the record, according to my ITA dummy search, the APD contributes ~USD 265 towards auxiliary charges. Not sure how your friend got away with USD 150 and still went through LHR on a long premium sector.

My latest itinerary of SYD-BKK-ICN-FRA-LCY-FRA-ZRH-PEK-AKL-SYD (F/J) had an auxiliary charge of only $217.95; can't remember if that includes or excludes the service charge (too lazy to find out). But definitely smaller than yours, though having a much smaller APD (which had not been indexed for this year) helps keep it down a lot.


EDIT: Just as well ITA can give me something. I tried initially to verify the auxiliary charges on OZ's website. Then I found out it was a POS.

 

[Alanslegal]

Hayden, as posted on your FB wall, my GF's recent F booking SYD-xBKK-LHR-xFRA-xICN-BKK-SYD taxes came out to be $458 plus $50 service fee

 

[anat0l]

Hayden, as posted on your FB wall, my GF's recent F booking SYD-xBKK-LHR-xFRA-xICN-BKK-SYD taxes came out to be $458 plus $50 service fee

A shame with your GF's booking in that it could've been lower if you could've forced a flight split between LHR-FRA and FRA-ICN.

 

[haydensydney]

Thanks guys for going through the motions to work this one out for me - I feel less concerned about it now

I shouldn't complain really as its come to ~$3k for J to LHR. Not bad.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks guys for going through the motions to work this one out for me - I feel less concerned about it now

I shouldn't complain really as its come to ~$3k for J to LHR. Not bad.

lol - yes you should feel bad! First class only $550 more!! Although no F ex SYD and you'd have to go via FRA!

I just booked MEL-BKK-FRA-CDG return in J/F/C. Taxes were $189pp plus $50 booking fee - so $239 all up. Add in the London luxury tax and it makes up the difference to about $530 you mention.

Compare that to my sister who booked QF F return to LHR, her taxes and surcharges were well over $600. So US still comes out in front.