One airline, SkyEurope, apparently seen the light and has removed the concept of a surcharge from their systems. Of course, they are a small LCC from Central Europe so the number of affected passengers is relatively low, but the move is a very refreshing one in an industry where airlines seem to be focusing on finding new ways to extract cash from customers rather than just charging a fare that covers the costs.
Our customers have told us it’s important to be completely transparent about the final price of their journey with SkyEurope. We have eliminated the complex structure of surcharges and fees and we have implemented one easy to understand price point. We have also taken one more exciting step by eliminating the fuel surcharge for our customers to provide further relief from increasing fuel costs.
Then again, like anything else, the fine print reveals some caveats:
Additional products and services such as checked baggage, airport lounges or any other paid services not directly related to the air ticket purchase are communicated separately
So there are no additional fees for your ticket, but that doesn’t include baggage, concessions, or anything other than a seat on the plane. Still, it is better than just about every other carrier operating today, with the main exception being Southwest, that still have virtually zero fees for anything.
This happened a month ago and is just now making it out into wider coverage, so it certainly isn’t groundbreaking in a manner that would seem to be affecting the rest of the industry, but I can dream.
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