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Flying to Colombia for the Holiday's this year? Just got a tad more expensive!

New "F" the consumer because we can and you cant do anything about it fee.

New Airline Fee Alert: $10 Surcharges for Flying This Holiday Season

The airlines have some mighty long sleeves. How else can you explain all the dirty tricks they're able to pull out of them? The newest one: Almost all of the legacy carriers in the United States have, within hours of each other, decided to charge you another $10 if you fly on the year's busiest travel days.
The $10 upcharge won't come in the form of more expensive fares. That would make too much sense, and it would actually conform to the old economic law of supply and demand that you were told the markets live by. No, the extra $10 will be concealed in the form of a "miscellaneous surcharge."
I don't get it. Do you?
I understand charging more during peak seasons. That only make sense. But this backdoor method of getting more money when seats are scarcer is just cowardly. When you go surfing on the Web for your airfare so you can fly to visit your family this holiday season, the price you'll be quoted won't reflect the honest, actual price. Which is exactly why the airlines are doing it, rather than being up front about the true cost of your flight from the get-go.
The affected days are November 29, January 2, and January 3. (Well...this year. I fully expect the airlines to expand upon the penalty dates after this initial round. Like bacteria, airline indignities multiply once they get a toehold in the system.) The culprits so far: American Airlines (which started it), Delta, Northwest, and U.S. Airways.
Give us a break, guys. Just increase the price of our fare by $10, and stop insulting us with this henpecking. If you won't give us that dignity, don't be surprised if more and more people are rude to your flight attendants in retaliation. While I don't support that as a civil or effective mode of protest, I suspect America's flight attendants can attest to the fact it's happening.

By Paisa/Calena/Luver on Sep 29, 2009, 14:13 in Friendly Talkzone.

Aji1 says on Sep 29, 2009, 14:23:

PCL, it is clear to me. This way they charge both for the season and the day. Pack you own Vaseline surcharge will be next. Rude to the point of TSA involvement always hangs over the protest action you mention. We will be taking dry on both ends soon in a myriad of ways I am afraid.

I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

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Pappassito (☼Travelguide writer) says on Sep 29, 2009, 17:52:

Straight up without benefit of KY..

"A wise monkey never monkeys with another monkey's monkey."

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Bluesdude says on Sep 29, 2009, 17:53:

Just another milestone in the quest for increased customer dissatisfaction.

A guru once said, "the mind is like a drunken monkey." If that's true, then my mind is an orangutan on a binge

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manINred says on Sep 29, 2009, 19:49:

"I don't get it. Do you?"

Yes, I get it. These corporations are cost-cutting, profit-maximizing scoundrels taking advantage of people's need to see their family over the holidays.

Utter bollocks; but not much we can do about it is there? If you're going to Colombia switch to Air Canada, Iberia, or Avianca I guess. Or drive down to Mexico and fly out from there.

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romy says on Sep 29, 2009, 21:45:

Air Canada is quoting me $2400 to go down to Colombia for Christmas this year, that's not even including the fare I'll have to pay to get to Cali from Bogota. With that price I don't even care about missing feria this year. Maybe a white Christmas at the cabin by the lake is in the cards this year.

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goin_south says on Sep 29, 2009, 21:58:

pcl,... wtf r u talkg about?

I just checked Kayak.com ... flights from N.O. to Bogota, Dec 26 to Jan 4..... $983.00 USA dinero.

That's nothing.
Most of the last four years, I remember paying more like ..... ... $1200.00 to fly to Colombia, these routes, around the holidays.

if you think flights are high priced now...... JUST WAIT ANOTHER MONTH!

nothin I say is to be takn for my words, but rather for the words of Sailor Jerry.

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romy says on Sep 29, 2009, 22:09:

kayak.com $1575 to Cali, maybe I will make it to feria

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goin_south says on Sep 29, 2009, 22:15:

from where, romy?

nothin I say is to be takn for my words, but rather for the words of Sailor Jerry.

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romy says on Sep 29, 2009, 22:32:

YYC

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goin_south says on Sep 29, 2009, 22:38:

$1409..... Calgary to Cali, Dec 26 to Jan 4.... kayak.com

nothin I say is to be takn for my words, but rather for the words of Sailor Jerry.

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goin_south says on Sep 29, 2009, 22:38:

right here, right now.

nothin I say is to be takn for my words, but rather for the words of Sailor Jerry.

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suizo says on Sep 30, 2009, 05:59:

From Europe to Colombia in holiday season mostly around 1800 - 2000 USD. Got a flight 2 months ago for 1400, via Miami though...I hope the 500 bucks I save are worth the hassle in Miami.

Crackheads suck!

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manINred says on Sep 30, 2009, 06:06:

Romy... you in uni? I have to wait until my exam schedule comes out to book flights, otherwise I would have booked it already, bloody lazy administration.

The delay in the schedule is costing me way more than the $10 increase in flight costs for holiday season.

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AFEE13 says on Sep 30, 2009, 06:13:

I purchased roundtrip tix to Medallo from NJ for $681about 2 months ago and now they're up to $1400..thats crazy

Never looking back or too far in front of me, the present is a gift and I just want to BE

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romy says on Sep 30, 2009, 17:32:

MIR, I have a wedding to attend Dec 19, if I don't make it to this then I see little motivation to go to Colombia for the holidays, I'd rather stay here. Potentially I could have an exam scheduled for up to the 22nd (my registrar hasn't released the schedule yet either). So I have to go talk with the coordinator for that course to see if for any reason I have an exam scheduled on the 18th or later, that I can write it at a different time.

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manINred says on Sep 30, 2009, 21:40:

Good luck with that. My exam sched comes out next week, yours may too. Check because universities generally will not allow holidays as an excuse for missing an exam, and unless your wedding is a close relative, then you are probably out of luck, and I say this based on what my school would say.

I checked today and flights went down in cost considerably from when I checked a week ago, which is bizarre. My flight would be paid for anyway (up to a certain amount) so I have very little reason not to go, and I haven't been back in years.

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dwmte7 says on Oct 2, 2009, 07:56:

my wife takes off tuesday from orlando to medellin...$401.00 return incl all taxes. don't know what the fare is at xmas, for the same route.
d

patriarch

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Grimace says on Oct 2, 2009, 10:15:

Thats a fantastic price dwmte7 I was looking to try and see my novia for the holidays but we are looking at $1100..

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dwmte7 says on Oct 2, 2009, 12:06:

grimace......i've been using the same travel agent for years. herbert at america travel in miami....he's a colombian and his son is a pilot for i think it's southwest. wonderful, honest person.

1-800-367-2581 or 305-948-0171

he's never tried to sell me or anyone i referred to him anything 'extra' or pull any b.s. over anyone's eyes. really an exceptional chap. i honorably recommend him. i never cruise the net looking for a price as he'll do it for me.
douglas

patriarch

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sanandressi says on Oct 3, 2009, 08:38:

Crying over a $10 increase in the fare? Look at how much of your total cost is taxes?

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dwmte7 says on Oct 3, 2009, 09:52:

don't we all just LOVE those taxes.........liquor, tobacco, auto, sales, excise, value, transportation, highway and on and on and on. what would life be with out taxes?

patriarch

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goin_south says on Oct 3, 2009, 09:57:

The New American Government Theme Song:

nothin I say is to be takn for my words, but rather for the words of Sailor Jerry.

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