QF Fuel Surcharges... May go down when fuel below $60/barrel for a month

[JohnK]

Cathay Pacific have reduced their surcharges a little:

Yes I noticed this change on my latest BKK-SIN return ticket which included the 700 baht BKK departure tax

Time for Qantas to also reduce their surcharge a little?

I think so. $935 for a 16 sector RTW award with most sectors short haul NA and Europe.

 

[Mal]

Maybe that reduction won't be happening soon. BA is just about to *Increase* their fuel surcharge!

More Information

"British Airways is to increase its longhaul fuel surcharge with effect from Wednesday May 2, 2007 as a result of recent trends in the price of oil.

The fuel surcharge on longhaul flights of less than nine hours will rise from £30 per sector (£60 return) to £33 (£66 return) and from £35 per sector to £38 (£76 return) on flights longer than nine hours."

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

NZ has been making noises about increasing its fuel surcharge. A bit rich as didn't reduce when the other airlines did in the last round of changes, and also NZ$ is at record highs against US$.

 

[oz_mark]

NZ has been making noises about increasing its fuel surcharge. A bit rich as didn't reduce when the other airlines did in the last round of changes, and also NZ$ is at record highs against US$.

With the weakness in the US dollar, one would have thought it would have to some degree offset the rise in the oil price.

 

[serfty]

Not when most contracted Airline fuel is purchased with USD.

The value of the AUD against the USD should have more effect at your local petrol station although I have yet to see any real decrease in that respect.:evil:

 

[serfty]

Mind you, the AUD fuel fines collected Qantas will start to cover a larger proportion of the cost of the fuel they purchase, so it is unlikely they will increase them.

Did some one mention a decrease? Tell 'em the're dreamin'!.:evil:

 

[JohnK]

For crying out loud! It is a cost of running a business. What is wrong with adjusting base airfare?

 

[dajop]

For crying out loud! It is a cost of running a business. What is wrong with adjusting base airfare?

1. More difficult to adjust FF points for award bookings, easier to just slug loyal customers when they want to have their "freebie"
2. Don't have to apply corporate discounts to fuel fines
3. Can pick up fuel fines on rtw and circle fares
4. Don't have to pay TA commission on fuel fines
5. Can blame someone else for price increases
6. Public are dumb they won't notice, especially if you just collectively refer to them as taxes - they will just blame the government.
7. As long as the competition does it, not going to get penalised and v.v
8. Don't have to unilaterally apply, can collect fuel fines in some markets and not others.
........

 

[NM]

9. Can make it look like a "tax" and hence blame the taxation system for the cost

 

[Mal]

6. Public are dumb they won't notice, especially if you just collectively refer to them as taxes - they will just blame the government.

Oh, but I do blame the Government to some extent. Why isn't the various watchdogs stepping in to mandate this type of ripoff becomes part of the base fare.

 

[JohnK]

Why isn't the various watchdogs stepping in to mandate this type of ripoff becomes part of the base fare.

Because they are useless!

 

[serfty]

Because they are useless!

Methinks it's more the case that "they" are personally and as a group quite well looked after by Qantas, in many ways. :!:

 

[oz_mark]

Oh, but I do blame the Government to some extent. Why isn't the various watchdogs stepping in to mandate this type of ripoff becomes part of the base fare.

While I agree that fual should be part of the base fare, being an operational expense, the watchdogs themselves are charged with enforcing laws. Can you actually point to a law or regulation that the airlines are breaching by their current pratice? Or does the law need changing?

 

[Mal]

While I agree that fual should be part of the base fare, being an operational expense, the watchdogs themselves are charged with enforcing laws. Can you actually point to a law or regulation that the airlines are breaching by their current pratice? Or does the law need changing?

You are correct in that the airlines are shifty enough to avoid doing anything that would land themselves in trouble directly. However, I believe that the misrepresentation of fuel charges as a tax (and the associated shenanigans that are used for the application of this "tax") is a very dodgy practice. Maybe something will come out of the current legal battle between Travel Agents and some airlines over this sham. The ACCC has powers to investigate various aspects of the Trade Practices Act, and I'm sure if the government wanted things to be changed they would either ammend the TPA or find an appropriate way to investigate.

 

[NM]

While I agree that fual should be part of the base fare, being an operational expense, the watchdogs themselves are charged with enforcing laws. Can you actually point to a law or regulation that the airlines are breaching by their current pratice? Or does the law need changing?

The laws of reasonableness and common sense. Unfortunately not enforcible by any court.

 

[Brettmcg]

I think this thread should be re-titled:

QF Fuel Surcharges... May go down when Satan drives to work in a snowplough
​

...anyone got a better idea?