Gettin’ Carried Away

Until recently, I never really paid attention to the taxes I incurred when purchasing a flight. While I was searching for flights on Southwest, I noticed some fine print discussing taxes for taking off, landing, September 11th, etc. I was thinking… huh?

Have you ever wondered why your taxes/fees can be as much as $50 or $100? Here’s why:

Segment taxes

The Passenger Flight Segment Tax is currently $3.50, charged every time a passenger takes off and lands. Essentially, you are paying $7 in taxes per round-trip flight. So if you are not flying non-stop, and you have a connecting flight in another city, you will be paying $17.50 in taxes for taking off twice and landing three times.

International taxes

The Federal Aviation Administration excises a $15.40 tax for the departure and arrival of all international flights. Therefore, if you are flying from New York to London, you will pay an extra $30.80 in taxes.

Security fees

After the terrorist tacks in the East Coast on September 11, 2001, Congress created a 9/11 Security Fee. The fee costs $2.50 per boarding with a maximum fee of $5 per one-way. So even if you have several connecting flights, you will only be charged $5. All of the money collected goes to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which typically enforces heightened security checks on September 11th each year.

~* Every passenger on this flight was charged a $2.50 tax
for flying from Las Vegas to Chicago on 9/11/08. *~

~* Carrie is the blonde in the back! *~

Passenger facility charges

This is a local tax that is collected by individual airlines and paid directly to the airport. The FAA is in charge of telling airports across America how much they can charge for this tax - anywhere from $3 to $18 on a one-way ticket. Most airports in the U.S. charge $6 for this fee. Much of the money collected goes to the maintenance and improvements of the airports.

Other taxes

For example, U.S. Airways charges taxes ($100 each way) for unaccompanied minors. I first flew on a plane when I was 15 years old… alone. Looking back, I don’t even know if there was such a fee added to the price of my flight. U.S. Airways also may charge a fee for “lap children.” Although your baby may be able to travel for free, there just might be a tax added to your trip price because, well, nothing is free these days, right?

So remember - when you are choosing an airline, don’t be surprised by all the taxes! Do some research. Don’t be discouraged! It is a business after all. Airlines and airports need to make money. You will find the airline that fits you best.