so what about the tax on the car hire if you book it yourself?

are you sure you've checked this correctly. Continental's website shows taxes and fees per person of nearly £280 London- New York. Is the £630 for one person or two?

I've just recheck flights on Continetal
Fare details 2 adults(18-64) £1456.00
Additional Taxes/Fees £228.28
the link on Taxes/fees

Fuel Surcharge 193.00 GBP
U.S. APHIS User Fee 3.30 GBP
U.S. Immigration User Fee 4.60 GBP
U.S. Customs User Fee 3.60 GBP
U.K. Air Passenger Duty 65.00 GBP
U.K. Passenger Service Charge 11.34 GBP
U.S. Federal Transportation Tax 10.90 GBP
U.S. Federal Transportation Tax 10.90 GBP
September 11th Security Fee 1.60 GBP
U.S. Passenger Facility Charge 2.90 GBP
Certain taxes/fees list above are included in the originally quoted price.
Total flight is £1684.28 via continentail

right, my first quote was wrong, might be a case of cookies altering things.

I've done it again and the breakdown is the same as yours except the UK passenger charge which was much higher, presumably you aren't using Heathrow. The important thing here is that the £193 each on fuel surcharge is not added into the tax total on the website, it's part of the £1456.

I did the same enquiry on netflights, got the same flights and a final price that was within £1 of Continentals quote. But netflights breakdown shows the tax+fees much higher as they do include the fuel surcharge in that part.

So does the TC invoice include fuel surcharge in the taxes and fees with the base fare correspondingly less??

And then there's the tax on the car which I assume you get at Newark. New Jersey state sales tax is 7% plus an odd $5 per day rental car security tax (don't ask me!!). Hopefully all that was included in your invoice and you won't get hit with it at the airport but some car hire quotes exclude taxes.

I got a breakdown from TC but it is in work at the moment, but I think I'm confused more about the price difference and I asumed the it was the tax causing this but in fact it is the flights which pre tax are now £1350ish (tax £615ish)
If I had booked holiday on netflights myself I could have saved over £500
Same flight same hotel same car hire
now I totally understand TC maybe slightly dearer due to wages/premisses etc
I have spoken to TC rep but there is nothing they can do regarding the vast difference so why bother using an agent?
Ok so with netflights I have to pay at time of booking but even if i put on credit card and paid card within same time as I have to pay TC I would still be quids in
P.S I'm also getting taxed for under occupancy fee for hotel why can they get a room with 1 bed?

[quoteI've just booked my summer holiday via Thomas Cook which I was quite happy with until I got breakdown of costs!
]