I promise, I’ll ask the airlines why they are resorting to a blanket summer travel peak travel surcharge rather than simply raising the fares. I’m sure there is a reason, but this is one more thing that makes figuring out airfares complicated.
The major legacy carriers all announced, seemingly within minutes of each other that they will add surcharges ranging from $10 to $30 for one-way domestic flights on almost every day between June 10 and August 22.
The 4th of July was left out. It seems that few travel on Independence Day.
The airlines have toyed with this system of surcharges before. They began by imposing surcharges around the Christmas and New Year high-travel days. They they decided to spread the surcharges to virtually any high-demand travel such as Easter, spring break, Memorial Day and I forget what others.
Evidently, the test has worked well. Why pick and choose what days to add surcharges? This summer, the major airlines are doing it the other way — they are picking and choosing the days when there will be no surcharges.
However, whatever the airline call these surcharges, since they are not optional, consumers should know that the advertised cost of travel will include the airfare and the peak travel day surcharge. From a consumer point of view, this will look like an increase in the airfare, which it is.
I’m still wondering why the airlines choose to add surcharges this way instead of simply changing the airfares. Do any or you know how they are playing this game.
Next week, I’ll have time to dig into this, but I’m open to explanations in the meantime.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
