Johnnie Moore asked about site stats, and one of the biggest lures to my website are my frequent jabs at Aussie would-be-if-it-could-be no frills airline (and Qantas offshoot) Jetstar. So it makes sense for me to point this out (from Saturdays smh):
"Qantas's budget offshoot, Jetstar, has quietly increased the fees, surcharges and taxes on more than half its domestic flights after opening its much-hyped $9 one-way seat sale.
"After advertising 300,000 bargain tickets on its website last month, Jetstar has cut its one-way base fares from Sydney to the Gold and Sunshine coasts from $19 to $9. But the one-way fares to both destinations have risen by $4 to $53, because the airline has lifted its surcharges, fees and taxes from $30 to $44. (One-way fees in the other direction are slightly lower.)
"Deducting the $12 fuel surcharge introduced in October, the extra fees on Jetstar flights to both destinations have nearly doubled."
Gee, who would have thought. ...
Sneaky little Jetstar has quietly, without any warning, lifted its fees and charges on some routes, in addition to the fuel levy and government imposts. All the while boosting its bottom line, whilst shouting about its cut prce fares.
Once airlines start to deviate away from "all inclusive" rates, it is only a matter of time before they start fiddling with taxes/surcharges/levies/fees. But now that all three airlines are doing it, Simon Westaway (Jetstar talking head) and his mates know we have no choice
"At the end of the day you have to observe what the final fare is."
That we do. And pretty soon we are going to need fancy calculators to follow the mathematics behind what airlines charge. Maybe then the Australian Competition and Consumer and Comission will step in.
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