Airline passengers pay up to 32% more on ‘taxes, fees, surcharges’

AIRLINE passengers can pay almost 32% more in compulsory “taxes, fees and surcharges” on air fares depending on which airline they choose, an Irish Examiner investigation found.

Passengers on all flights have to pay the levies on top of the standard air fare and optional extras to cover government taxes, airport fees and landing charges.

But passengers flying to the same destination on rival airlines can end up being charged €15 more in “taxes, fees and charges” on one plane than on the other.

Last night, consumer groups said passengers urged airlines to come clean over their prices, saying passengers would expect the compulsory “taxes and surcharges” to be uniform on all flights between the same airports.

Yet an Irish Examiner investigation, of seven of the most popular routes from Ireland to Europe, revealed significant discrepancies in compulsory passenger fees of up to 31.9%. Some of the disparities are demonstrated on Cork-Dublin routes.

With Aer Arann, passengers are paying, on top of their return air fare, an unavoidable taxes and fees supplement of €35.04.

This has been broken down into:

* €20.55 airport service charges.

* €4.99 insurance and fuel surcharges.

* €9.50 airport security charges.

However, under Ryanair, the taxes and fees element of the fare on the route comes to €46.21, a difference of €11.17 or 31.9% over Aer Arann’s amount.

Ryanair lists these charges as:

* €34.63 passenger service charges

* €11.58 insurance and wheelchair levy.

While airline passengers can take advantage of differing seat rates and opt to pay extras like baggage charges, they have no choice but to pay “taxes, fees and charges”.

Between Dublin and Malaga, Aer Lingus levies a compulsory €39.79 in what are described as taxes and charges yet Ryanair’s amount comes to €51.81, a difference of €12.02 or 30.2% extra.

While Ryanair gives passengers a breakdown of these charges, Aer Lingus just gives a lump sum under the heading ‘taxes and fees’, and also adds a €6 handling fee.

Only on the Dublin to Madrid route were passenger taxes almost identical with Ryanair’s coming to €39.16 versus the €39.79 passed on by Aer Lingus, a difference of 63 cent or 1.6% more.

The Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) said airlines must come clean over the difference in fees for passengers on the same routes.

“Consumers would assume that all taxes and surcharges for all airlines, in and out of the same airport, would be the same but that’s a misconception,” said CAI chief executive Dermott Jewell.

Passengers, he said, had a much harder job when working out the cheapest flight as they had to weigh up differing seat prices, baggage charges as well as compulsory tax levels.

All the airlines in their terms and conditions insist taxes, fees and surcharges are imposed by governments, other authorities and the airports.

Aer Lingus and Aer Arann have declined to explain why competing airlines had differing rates.

An Aer Lingus spokesperson said: “Aeronautical charges in and out of airports are recovered through taxes, fees and charges. These charges will vary according to the airport.”

Aer Arann said: “We pass on airport taxes as we see fit to the passenger and we try to pass on the minimum.”

No one was available for comment from BMI but Ryanair said: “In terms of differences, airlines may apportion costs in different ways.

“You may also rest assured that Ryanair’s average fares (including taxes and charges) are less than half of Aer Lingus or Aer Arann.”