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Airlines Secretly Cash in on Unused Tickets
With so much talk about airline fees lately, you might overlook perhaps the largest source of ancillary revenue for the industry — and a big headache for you — that lets airlines make money for nothing. A lot of it. (redtape.msnbc.msn.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
When I buy an non-refundable ticket, I understand what the word non-refundable means. However, I do not understand why the airline keeps the monies paid for taxes, security fees, etc. which clearly are not part of the airline base airfare but fees paid by the passenger and will not be paid to the taxing body as no passenger was carried on the flight. Shouldn't at least these taxes and fees be returned to the customer?
Excellent point.
I started working at a Travel Agency in 1989. Back then you could get a refund if you supplied the airline with a signed Doctor's letter. You could not change your outbound flight but could pay a $75 fee to change the return portion. In 1991 American Airlines introduced valu pricing which allowed changes to both outbound and return flights and everyone else followed the same way (Monkey See Monkey Do!!). The changes fee was started at $35.. Then it went down to $25. The back up to $35 then up to $50. Then back up to $75 then $100 then to the present $150. Ther Doctor's letter will no longer work for a full refund, except oof course you are flying International. In the year 1996 was also the year that Delta Airlines halted 10% travel agency commissions. Monkey See Monkey Do prevailed. When Travel Agents tried to ban together to protest, they were thwarted by a rule Collusion against the airlines...Imagine that...So in March 2002 all agency commissions went to ZERO. However, the airlines continued to bypass us and now, as pointed out, everything that your airline ticket used to pay for has been un-bundled and offered ala carte. The airlines refuse to raise fares to a realistic level for fear they will lose business. Funny that Southwest has no problem keeping their fares realistic. So this is why we now have to pay for Baggage, Seats, Meals and anything else that they can think to charge us for. Back in 1989, the only taxes collected were federal excise of 8%. Now we have federal excise, segment fees, 9/11 fee, airport facility fees as well as any taxes relating to International tickets. There is also a clever little Qtax now added which is the way airlines hide the Fuel Surcharges they need. Being an Agent I see the Qtax in the fare quote and on some tickets it can exceed the cost of the actual airline ticket....Those Qtaxes should also be refunded as they are quite substantial!!!!! I love airlines and airplanes but the DOT has just screwed up thew whole industry....Please bring back the Civil Aeronautics Board and some more anti-trust regulation.
Well, this makes up for the $29 ticket that the consumer wants. It's a business...
You get what you pay for.... Read before you buy. and how about that unused seat that the person with this ticket was supposed to use. Not it is sold, and possibly not making money now. If you buy a ticket. tough luck, read the details.
I really don't understand why people are complaining... Flying is expensive.... Very expensive for Airlines... They sink Billions of dollars into this business and we all act like its something easy they could make money off of when its not.They hardly make money off of one flight flown, if i'm not mistaken one flight hardly pasts the break even point on profits... Its a tough economy and we complain about every little thing yet we still fly. Give them a break for once because we would not be the world we are today without Air Transport. If you don't like flying with the public then buy a private jet or cough up extra money for a First Class ticket. Otherwise Please fasten your seats and turn off all your electronic devices.