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The "other" things, though, are not theirs to control. Things like arrival and departure taxes (or the other way around, perhaps - depart before arrive?) and fuel surcharges are imposed by someone else.

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Yep, but they are in the business of getting bums on seats. IF they told you the full price up-front, they'd likely have a reduction in bums. They are advertising a product, at the actual price of the product (nothing wrong with that, is there?) They then, 1 click later, tell you the extras that the external forces (like Gummints and airport owners) charge them.

 

We have a Goods & Services Tax (aka GST, and in UK, I believe VAT) - the cost of a product can be advertised as $XXX (plus GST) quite legally. That shows you what the product is valued at, and what the Gummint is going to get out of the sale.

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but that isn't the actual cost of the product....however way you spin it, the actual cost is what you have to pay them all up.....its not as if you pay the airline, then toddle off down the street and pay the government then nip round the corner and pay the airport.

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but that isn't the actual cost of the product....however way you spin it, the actual cost is what you have to pay them all up.....its not as if you pay the airline, then toddle off down the street and pay the government then nip round the corner and pay the airport.

Missed the point entirely!

 

The cost of the product is XXX, tax and other things are EXTRA. The fact that they collect the tax is no different to a VAT/GST situation, you pay the store the total, they pay the gummint the tax and the airport owners and so on.

 

:rolleyes:

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It's a matter of perception. I personally prefer Japan's system in which the advertised price includes the GST/VAT.

I like knowing what the cost is to me, and I don't really care how it's split between the manufacturer, the transporter, the wholesaler, the retailer, the government.

I can understand, though, that some people might want to know those breakdowns.

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I'm with you, Jim, BUT I was pointing out the airline's take is that they are trying to minimise the perception of the cost, by doing what they are doing.

 

@Tubby, food is generally exempt from GST, but, in any case, if you buy a car, they don't tell you the total cost, including insurance, registration etc until later. The advertised prices are usually the least they can lawfully tell you, and that it the base price without "extras". Then, when you go to pay you have to fork out for insurances, registration, road tax, etc.

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I'm with you, Jim, BUT I was pointing out the airline's take is that they are trying to minimise the perception of the cost, by doing what they are doing.

 

Well,, yeah, duhhhh.

 

I'm with pie-eater, when other airlines are upfront about the cost, and others deceive, I'll give the former my custom.

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Your choice, in some cases we don;t have that luxury! One carrier ONLY does the here to capital city route, so take them or drive!

Not a huge choice of direct flights to Tokyo from here either.

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Yeah, JA, airlines recently are heavily into what amounts to bait-and-switch advertising, and car rental outfits have been for the longest time. It's rather outrageous. I just had BA offer to fly me to London for 30,000 yen, without mentioning the 70k+ add-ons. Got a good laugh out of that one!

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Another nice scam these days (in the US anyway) is the combination of toll roads that have no provision for cash payment and car rental deals that include an automated toll paying device at $10/day. Leaves you choosing to be wallet-raped, cited for toll evasion or stuck on by-roads.

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We got them here too, both Sydney & Melbourne have "cashless" tolls. Trouble is you have 24 hours to pay if you use one without the transponder unit in the car (it's just a RF thingy that can be read at high speed) but most casual users will not be home within 24 hours! Imagine a bloke like me, drives to Sydney to catch a plane to Japan and uses a toll road to get to the airport. Will I be able to pay the toll within 48 hours? Unlikely!

 

Some other scams of similar ilk are the cashless public transport things. Some of them are self-destructing if unused for more than 3 months, then requires a fee to "re-energise" and reload it. Again, a PITA for the casual user who lives far enough out of the city to avoid using the PT system for most of the time, but has to get into the CBD for some reason or other on occasion.

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I'm with you, Jim, BUT I was pointing out the airline's take is that they are trying to minimise the perception of the cost, by doing what they are doing.

 

@Tubby, food is generally exempt from GST, but, in any case, if you buy a car, they don't tell you the total cost, including insurance, registration etc until later. The advertised prices are usually the least they can lawfully tell you, and that it the base price without "extras". Then, when you go to pay you have to fork out for insurances, registration, road tax, etc.

 

 

yeah but you don't pay registration, insurance and road tax to the car dealership!! Jeez!!

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