Airlines Impose New Summer Surcharge Fees
Will it ever end?
This summer, airline passengers will be paying $10 to $30 bucks more as airlines plan on imposing a surcharge for flying on peak travel days. The catch is, however, that this summer, all days will be "peak flying days," — 73 of 74 days on most flights from June 10 to August 22.
Farecompare.com reported that the surcharges apply for domestic flights (both ways), which could mean a family of four paying an additional $250.00 for air travel.
A surcharge, usually around $10.00, is common for Tuesday and Wednesday travel with a $20.00 surcharge usually tacked on for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday. Sunday, the week's busiest day, typically carries a $30.00 surcharge.
USA Today in the Sky points out that travelers don't see these charges because they're included in the ticket price for more convenient tracking purposes by the airlines, or lessening the risk of incurring the ire of customers.
The reaction from the traveling public was swift and angry with on line comments comparing airline pricing policies to a hotel's charging extra for using the elevator or AC or hot water. The possibility that hotels might actually charge for these, made the humor a little less funny.
Other angry comments called for more government regulation, which could happen if fliers' frustration with the airline's constant "nickel and diming" results in Congressional hearings — an anathema for the airline industry.
WCBSTV, New York, confirmed that while the big five airlines (American, Delta, Continental United and US Airways) will add the summer surcharge (except for the 4th of July, the year's slowest traffic day), it also reported that so far Jet Blue and SouthWest are not on board with the higher fares. Said Jet Blue's Executive VP, Robin Hayes, "We don't apply surcharges, the fare is the fare... (but) fares are higher."
Consumers, already staggering under the weight of complex fees for such things as blankets, bags, food and pillows, are now being asked to shop more wisely for fares, like booking flights at 3 p.m. on Tuesdays when the airlines first file their fees for the week and are typically lower.
Will the summer surcharge affect your travel plans?
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