Last week, we reported on a new money making scheme concocted by the airlines. In a nutshell, they are raising fares by $10 on the busiest days of the year. The scheme started as a fee from one airline on three days around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then other airlines followed, turning it into an industry wide scam scheme.
Well, apparently the bean counters at the various airlines loved it – because they have expanded it to a whole bunch of other dates.
Farecompare.com has the dates listed as:
- November 29 – November 30, 2009
- December 19, 2009
- December 26 – December 27, 2009
- January 2 – January 3, 2010
- March 14, 2010
- March 20 – March 21, 2010
- March 28, 2010
- April 11, 2010
- May 28, 2010
That’s right – when you need the airlines the most, they’ll make the most money off you. Some airlines were smart, and hid the $10 surcharge in their fares (American Airlines is a good example of this), others simply tack it on top of the other fees and surcharges added to your ticket.When the first wave of “peak surcharges” was added, you could opt for a different airline, but as is often the case in the airline world, most airlines have copied American Airlines, so it’s going to be one of those times when the airlines win. In other words – get used to these new fee generating methods.
(Via Walletpop)