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Why are airline taxes and fees so high to Europe?

Flights are around $1000 with HALF of that as fees and taxes!  $500 in taxes?  Anyone know why its so high? 
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Re: Why are airline taxes and fees so high to Europe?

  • because taxes and fees are higher for europe than domestic? i dont know really what you're asking.....
    Friday, December 28 2012. The day I had emergency appendix surgery in Mexico and quit smoking. Proof that everything has a good side!! DH and I are happily child-free!! No due date or toddler tickers here!! my read shelf:
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  • Part of it depends on the airport. I know Heathrow charges exorbitant taxes. Overall European governments charge higher airport taxes than US ones.
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  • Part of it is international exit taxes which do depend on the country.  Exit UK I think is the highest and was around $90.  What is making up the bulk of the cost though is the fuel surcharge.  Airline pricing is super complicated and tough to explain, but in order to raise fares (hard to do with all the competition) they've had to do it through a fuel surcharge, which is considered a "tax" in the fare rules.  Fuel surcharges have gone up over 300% since 2006 due to the insanely high cost of fuel in recent years.  Right now the average fuel surcharge from the US to Europe is about $210 each way.  Add that in with the taxes and you've got $500 extra dollars tacked on.  

     By the end of the month the US govt will require that all taxes be included in advertised fares so it'll look like airfares are going way up.

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  • imageButtercup619:

    Part of it is international exit taxes which do depend on the country.  Exit UK I think is the highest and was around $90.  What is making up the bulk of the cost though is the fuel surcharge.  Airline pricing is super complicated and tough to explain, but in order to raise fares (hard to do with all the competition) they've had to do it through a fuel surcharge, which is considered a "tax" in the fare rules.  Fuel surcharges have gone up over 300% since 2006 due to the insanely high cost of fuel in recent years.  Right now the average fuel surcharge from the US to Europe is about $210 each way.  Add that in with the taxes and you've got $500 extra dollars tacked on.  

     By the end of the month the US govt will require that all taxes be included in advertised fares so it'll look like airfares are going way up.

    Thanks - that's helpful, especially the bolded.  It's so misleading!  I put two travelers in the search, and it said "fare = $500; total = $1000" and I got all excited because I initially thought that was for both of us.  Haha!  Not so much.
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    Anything you can achieve through hard work, you could also just buy.
  • it's totally misleading and infuriating! but also really hard to explain.

    ah 500 a person to europe-onyl in my dreams-or 20 years ago :)

    Friday, December 28 2012. The day I had emergency appendix surgery in Mexico and quit smoking. Proof that everything has a good side!! DH and I are happily child-free!! No due date or toddler tickers here!! my read shelf:
    Alison's book recommendations, favorite quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists (read shelf) 
  • I feel ya; it's really frustrating to find a decent flight price and then have another $200 in taxes and fees.

     Like pp mentioned, a law goes into effect on Jan 26th that airlines must show the total price with fees and taxes

  • imagewise_rita:
    Socialism.

    Vulcans.

     

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  • imagealithebride:

    it's totally misleading and infuriating! but also really hard to explain.

    ah 500 a person to europe-onyl in my dreams-or 20 years ago :)

    I did it 6 years ago :)

    Sorry, mrsA, but airfare to Italy isn't much less than peru.  Or, you know, you could come to Hawaii for a lot less! 

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