SQ Surcharges Criminal!

[Buzzard]

Have suite prices come down alot?
I did a lot of reading and see $20,000 ticket prices.
It's 'only' 13,5k return Syd-Lon on suites....

Other than what I have read here, I have no idea what the cash price is for suites to various destinations.
Easy to do a dummy booking and find out.

 

[amaroo]

<snip>

It's 'only' 13,5k return Syd-Lon on suites....

Hmm, just had a gander. Looks pretty cheap - food for thought...

 

[Irishbazz]

It hurts less when you start into the Krug, Dom Perignon ,the icy Vodka with the caviar and then the fine red with dinner.

As Cove says, tuck in once aboard and any complaints from the FA's - Explain your fuel surcharge theory

 

[HeavyElectricity]

Back in December I redeemed business PER-SIN-LHR for September. One-way taxes PER-SIN-LHR were AU$446.71.

I've been keeping an eye on various options, and today it occurred to be to look at options from Auckland (in case I move over to the east coast later this year). One-way taxes for a business redemption AUK-SIN-LHR are only NZ$39.38!

For flyers on the easy-coast an economy positioning trip (e.g. SYD-AUK AU$241 on LATAM) would end up being cheaper (and you could have a stopover in Auckland for a few days too).

 

[HeavyElectricity]

One-way taxes for a business redemption AUK-SIN-LHR are only NZ$39.38!.

Ok - maybe that was too good to be true. Looks like it's only the 'standard' rewards from NZ that have the cheaper tax. Taxes for an economy 'saver' ticket are NZ$368.38. But for 'standard' reward economy, business, and taxes are NZ$39.38. From Perth 'standard' redemption taxes are still around AU$400+.

 

[ajd]

Ok - maybe that was too good to be true. Looks like it's only the 'standard' rewards from NZ that have the cheaper tax. Taxes for an economy 'saver' ticket are NZ$368.38. But for 'standard' reward economy, business, and taxes are NZ$39.38. From Perth 'standard' redemption taxes are still around AU$400+.

I really love the fiction that these are "taxes"...

 

[serfty]

I really love the fiction that these are "taxes"...

Agree ... these larger figures are almost all made up of carrier imposed surcharges which have nothing to do with government imposed taxes or levies.

 

[cove]

Yes those redemptions are quite a bit but getting Saver Kris Miles flights is what attracts our family. This week my son booked his girlfriend to get home from London in business class for below 80,000 Kris Miles plus £400 odd pounds. She is going over in First Class as a treat because it was available.
Availability is the key to why we love SQ redemptions and do not bother if you are happy flying in economy.

 

[RTH]

What I discovered when looking at partner award redemption

In Economy

Trip looking at in Sept

Using Velocity point fly SYD-LAX-SAN mix VA/DL (Tax component just over $100)

Payed flight SAN-YYZ


Was looking use points fly back from YYZ -SYD couple options with VA no issue on flight from LAX-SYD , point flights from YYZ to LAX/SYD with DL was nothing but in lasst week one option has shown up , fly out 6:15a with long layovers ATL&LAX then LAX-SYD
Other option Pay more convenient flight to LAX (best option AC/WJ) then points from there.

Looking at Star Alliance and using points with Krisflyer
When I first look for Star alliance award a couple weeks ago there was nothing available either on AC to YVR then SYD or AC/UA to LAX/SFO then LAX/SFO-SYD.
In the last few days availability has shown up, so thought see using KS if its option for me.

checking availability on United site it showed departing 7:30pm YYZ-YVR-SYD saver award 40kpoints +au83 taxes, there was also other availability either via LAX or via Vancouver but the layover was 4+ hrs so not an option using KF miles.

When I rang Krisflyer they initially said nothing available until I gave then exact flight times/numbers (I read on other threads where people have had to do this ) then they said ah yes YYZ-YVR-SYD leaving 7:30pm is available for 55k point but then a whopping $au435 in taxes (vs Mileageplus charging $83)
I also priced a separate YYZ-LAX flight taxes were about $130 (with MP $40) the taxes charged was only a $100 cheaper than just paying for a flight and saving points (12.5k same number of points as MP) for something else.

Other option is I can get a paid flight with AC/WJ to LAX (choice several a day) then take a points flight with VA from LAX-SYD for a total cost of $300 all up + 44800 points (Taxes on points flight $40 and the paid flight $37) saving myself $135 and what ever the conversion of points would have been to KF via either a Velocity or Altitude rewards to cover it.

The plus side of going AC through Canada and then to SYD is avoiding entering the US to fly back, guess workout is it worth it for the extra money, I could also look to spend most of day in LA and do a friends catch up.


The overall point being what Krisflyer charges you in taxes on partner awards and when you compare to say what Mileageplus charges for partner huge difference. Currently wishing there was a way you could transfer points to MP