Beware of extras in budget fares

Research shows families can pay more than $1000 in ''extras'' for low-cost flights. Source: Herald Sun

A FAMILY of four can pay more than $1000 in "extras" for low-cost flights to popular holiday destinations.

Travellers booking "no-frills" trips online to the Gold Coast, Sydney and Perth risk being slapped with added fees that eclipse the actual airfare, Flight Centre analysis reveals.

Charges for undeclared luggage, credit card fees and snacks can be twice the price of the basic flight.

The research was based on one-way flights for mum, dad and two kids sitting together in an exit row on Tiger Airways during Easter.

Failing to pay for a luggage allowance at the time of booking chalked up a whopping $880 in baggage fees for Sydney, and $1090 for the Gold Coast and Perth. Once booking fees, a surfboard carry charge, exit row seats and coffees and snacks were added, the charges ballooned from $1128 to $1354, depending on location.

Total costs under this scenario were more expensive than flying economy with Qantas, which offers a meal and checked baggage as part of the fare.

Tiger Airways spokeswoman Vanessa Regan said the low-cost model was based on providing the cheapest seat and allowing customers to choose extras.

Extras such as checked baggage were more affordable when booked online with the ticket purchase. "We don't apologise for our approach as it allows us to provide low fares," she said.

"We aim to be efficient and cut complexity in the right areas in order to pass on the most competitive fares. Low-cost travel enables people to fly when it was never before financially possible for some."

Bookings data suggests the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Queensland islands, Tasmania, Great Ocean Rd and the Yarra Valley are the most popular destinations for Victorians this Easter.

Flight Centre managing director Graham Turner said though travellers were becoming more accustomed to budget carriers' "unbundled" charges, it was important to read the fine print.

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Cabbies refused to pick fares at airport

The massive taxi line at Adelaide Airport. Picture: Twitter Source: adelaidenow

• Were you affected by the protest? Leave your comment below

TAXI drivers protested overnight at Adelaide Airport by refusing to pick up passengers.

About 60 taxi drivers from a range of companies joined the protest against the new pick-up system at the airport, leaving dozens of passengers stranded for about two hours.

South Australian Taxi Council president Jim Triantafyllou said the protest was over a glitch in the new pick-up system, which allows some drivers to jump the line of those waiting for fares.

Your say: How have you found the new pickup system?

"They (drivers) work trying to make a dollar out there and unfortunately the issue escalated and a group of drivers decided to protest about the new system," he said.

"It really was a glitch within the system that the airport is checking out and we look forward to repairing it, if there was one.

"The public was inconvenienced, which was very unfair... they need to get home also but (the drivers) wanted to have a protest and wanted to be heard."

The protest is now over.

View the original article here

Cabbies refused to pick fares at airport

The massive taxi line at Adelaide Airport. Picture: Twitter Source: adelaidenow

• Were you affected by the protest? Leave your comment below

TAXI drivers protested overnight at Adelaide Airport by refusing to pick up passengers.

About 60 taxi drivers from a range of companies joined the protest against the new pick-up system at the airport, leaving dozens of passengers stranded for about two hours.

South Australian Taxi Council president Jim Triantafyllou said the protest was over a glitch in the new pick-up system, which allows some drivers to jump the line of those waiting for fares.

Your say: How have you found the new pickup system?

"They (drivers) work trying to make a dollar out there and unfortunately the issue escalated and a group of drivers decided to protest about the new system," he said.

"It really was a glitch within the system that the airport is checking out and we look forward to repairing it, if there was one.

"The public was inconvenienced, which was very unfair... they need to get home also but (the drivers) wanted to have a protest and wanted to be heard."

The protest is now over.

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High fares blamed for bus travel losses

Fare prices have been blamed for the dwindling number of travellers on off-peak bus services. Source: The Daily Telegraph

THE State Government has released new figures on falling off-peak bus usage as it enters the last two weeks of consultation on its bus network review.

Released last week, the review proposes to reduce the number of bus routes in southeast Queensland from 446 to 335, but increase high frequency runs from 19 to 26.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson said during the past three years, off-peak trips typically dominated by pensioners and students, had slipped from 12.9 per cent of all journeys, to 12.7.

He said it was clear ongoing 15 per cent fare hikes were to blame.

"Students, pensioners and the elderly have been priced out of public transport," Mr Emerson said.

"Fares went up 15 to 20 per cent in 2010; those that couldn't afford it stopped travelling; revenue fell short; Labor had to keep putting up fares; and more people couldn't afford to travel.

"We are determined to break that cycle."

He said any money saved from the network review would go towards reducing next year's planned 7.5 per cent fare hike.

Funding for bus services increased 22 per cent to $580 million in the last three years but in the same period, patronage grew just 0.5 per cent.

However the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has condemned the proposed cutbacks to bus routes as a "criminal act against the people of Brisbane".

RTBU bus organiser Dave Matters said a lot of work had been done building up the (Brisbane City) Council network.

"We have a very good public transport network where the only issue we've got is the pricing," Mr Matters said.

"It now looks like they're going to bastardise the system, so nobody wants to use it. "

He said the changes indicated more people would be "thrown on to train services" or forced to switch services throughout their journey.

"Once you start expecting people to swap from bus to train, to bus to get where they want to go, they say 'this is too hard, I'll just use my car'," Mr Matters said.

"We don't think that's a wise way to run public transport services."

Feedback on the changes is being sought from today until March 24 at translink.com.au

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