The reaction of people to the fuel surcharge has not been very positive. I also have booked holidays for next year. On the paperwork I have not been charged but there is the usual note that they reserve the right.

I think that the 2007 prices will reflect an element covering increases in the cost of fuel. They are not in the business of giving things away. It is a good marketing ploy to say no surcharges.

Back in the early 80s I had a marketing scheme that guaranteed no price increases for 12 months. But I had already built into the figures a sum that enabled me to make that promise.

How does the total (including the surcharge) compare to the prices now? My holidays for May and October are well below the new brochure prices.

fwh

Interesting point this one...I have a Canaries flight booked with Thomsonfly (flight only) in May and booked and paid for last august.At the time it included a hefty fuel surcharge. The price was reasonable but no more. Now the MD of Thomsons is quoted as saying that there is no justification for this surcharge. I think it a quote he may live to regret however. If thats the case why hasnt my fuel surcharge been refunded. The silence from them is deafening.
It may have been an unfortunate turn of phrase but they made it...

I checked online a Virgin holiday to Barbados in April still showing 60 pounds each Fuel surcharge.

I researched the legal aspects of this as a result of an Airtours flight for my wife and me to Egypt dep. Feb 2006 and booked in late 2005. We booked knowing there was a fuel surcharge.

After booking but prior to departing the world price of oil fell considerably.

I wrote to Airtours and explained that should the cost of fuel fall they are obliged to refund all or part of the surcharge. From memory, this fall needs to be greater than 2% otherwise they can retain the surcharge.

I received one reply and it was quite honestly a joke, They had not addressed the main issue I'd pointed out - that when they price flights at the outset they do so with the expectation of burning a predictable amount of fuel based upon a calculated price at the time of setting the flight prices.

It's only the shift in fuel prices thereafter that permits a fuel surcharge to be levied. Airtours tried to convince me that the surcharge was designed to pay the total fuel cost.

I never got a sensible reply after that (never actually got any reply after that).

The problem you are likely to have in obtaining a refund is getting the airline to define their true fuel costs over a period of time - they just won't disclose this info.

And before anybody answers this thread with "you booked the flight/holiday knowing the fuel surcharge cost - why complain now" let me explain beforehand that a fuel surcharge MUST be removed/refunded if fuel prices fall prior to the flight. Therefore, when you do pay it is on that contractual understanding. I believe the authorities should force the airline to disclose the fuel price (probably expressed in $US per barrel) at which point the surcharge is based. Any falls below that (greater than 2%) merit partial to full refund as rises above that (more than 2%) CAN warrant further surcharges.

Openness. A dirty word in today's business/political climate.

It is such a shame that I did not keep a record of the costing breakdown for an holiday I was checking just few days before Thomson announced their new price policy. In my opinion they have just included the fuel charges now in the basic holiday cost and are avoiding displaying them as an extra cost. To give you an idea I was checking and holiday to Marsa Alam and the basic adult cost was in the region of 550 to 560 per person where now is between 600 to 605...with no fuel surcharges. As a second note Thomson is dislaying the extra cost for the APD ( Air Passenger Duty ) as a green tax. The chancellor just increased the said tax by 100% taking the cost to what it was originally pre 9/11 but in no case is a green tax and actually it would have been just great if it would have been a green tax.
I do credit Thomson with the courage of offering an easier price option for direct customers and travel agents but I will not believe too much in what they say.
It will be fantastic if any of you guys had a pre-January sale brochure and compare the price with the new edition....mine have all been recycled already and for once it has been a shame...!![/b]

I have asked Portland the same question. We booked in July and had an £80 added to our invoice for a trip to Egypt in June2007. I received a reply that said it only applies to holidays booked after 22nd December. So much for early booking as I sit here watching a programme telling everyone there are no fuel chages this summer and to book early for best prices!!!!!
I must admit though our holiday has increased in price by £400 but I put that down to booking a hotel that had not opened and has had very good write ups since.
It looks very much as though they have dropped the charges but included them in the overall price.
Margaret

I must admit though our holiday has increased in price by £400 but I put that down to booking a hotel that had not opened and has had very good write ups since.

Neknit, are you saying that you are being asked to pay £400 more having booked in July 2006 or are you saying that the same holiday as yours, if booked now, would cost other passengers £400 more than yours has?

If Thomsons are now saying there's no fuel surcharge - is it not possible that it will be 'hid' into the cost of the holiday accommodation?

I'm with Glynis on this one- I don't believe for a minute that the surcharge is just going away. For two adults and two children this can easy be £200- are Thomson's really going to discount the holiday by that much? At the end of the day, to me it looks like a marketing ploy, it won't be itemised on the invoice but it will be in there somewhere!

Pam

I agree with Glynis as well.
Anyone know which holiday companies still levy the fuel surcharge ??
They should be named and shamed and avoided if possible.

Robby

Sorry Mike,
I meant if I booked it now it would cost us £400 more than when we booked it last July.
Margaret

Hello all,
as I rightly thought and following an article on Travelmole, Thomson has admitted that the fuel surcharges have been included in the basic cost of the holiday to offer price transparency. There are no Robin Hood in the Travel Industry with the exception of Nottingham Airport. This should clear quite a lot of doubts and I will say that their advertising campaign at this stage may be classified as misleading. It would have been more honest for them to say...from now on the price you see is the price you pay. End of the story . What do you think?

Hello all,
as I rightly thought and following an article on Travelmole, Thomson has admitted that the fuel surcharges have been included in the basic cost of the holiday to offer price transparency.

Tempting to say I told you so.

I think that the 2007 prices will reflect an element covering increases in the cost of fuel. They are not in the business of giving things away. It is a good marketing ploy to say no surcharges.

As everyone should know you do not get anything for nothing.

Now if only they could have a fair pricing policy for the rest of the prices.

Under Occupancy Charges are a bigger problem for so many people.

At least the Fuel Surcharge was a straight charge per person.

fwh

This is a very clever move by Thomson, for the following reasons:

1. They can distance themselves from their competitors by stating they are not adding fuel surcharges
2. Whilst they really HAVE added such charges, but hidden in their main price they avoid the need to refund the passengers as a result of falling oil prices. Traders have lodged "sell" orders at between $50 and $45. It peaked at $78 last August. At the current $50.75 a barrel it's the lowest since May 2005.
3. Should the Iranians/Venezuelans cut production or the Russians sever the pipelines and oil prices rise Thompson will be able to ADD a surcharge as they've not currently applied such.

I wonder when Thomson bought their supplies. If they purchased at the high mark (May 2005) surely, they are overdue to make further, future purchases. I suspect they are about to negotiate with the suppliers, at much lower prices than over the past 2 years and don't want to lose the "profit" by having to refund (see my earlier post on the rules of this aspect).

I'd buy Thomson shares, sell oil.

I've just seen something interesting re fuel surcharges and APD.

I was comparing the same flight/hotel with MyTravel and Direct Holidays. Direct Holidays are charging £50 fuel surcharge and £40 APD, MyTravel are charging £130 fuel surcharge and £80 APD. It's the same flight!!

MyTravel are offering at total of £168 discount - not really a discount when they charge so much extra to start with!

I am sure that they will use the fact that they are the direct sell (no middleman) for MyTravel as the excuse.

Kath x

Surely the level of APD is determined by the Government and must therefore be the same whoever sells the flight?

Taxman,
your assumption is correct.

see this link: http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageExcise_InfoGuides&propertyType=document&id=HMCE_CL_000505

The bit belowe is lifted from the site above - crown copyright is acknowledged.

2.1 What are the rates of duty?
APD is a duty of excise which is levied on the carriage, from a UK airport, of chargeable passengers on chargeable aircraft.

There are currently four rates of duty which since 1st April 2001 have been:


Standard rates

£10 for specified European destinations.


£40 for all other destinations.


Reduced rates

£5 for specified European destinations.


£20 for all other destinations.



For a list of destinations which attract the European rates of duty please see paragraph 2.4.

The reduced rates apply where the passengers are carried in the lowest class of travel on any flight. For further information on the class of travel please see paragraphs 2.5 and 2.6.

You could try to argue that if £80 is charged this must result from the class of accomodation being club or first bet you get nowhere on that one.

A further thought is that the new APD rates (which I believe are double the old ones) come into effect on 1 Febuary. It may just be that one website is quoting the old rate whilst the other site is quoting the new rate. Doesn't help when trying to compare costs!!!