JAPAN. A growing number of foreign international airlines operating in Japan has been given authorization by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to increase the fuel surcharge on routes departing from Japan starting from1 April, Travel Journal International (TJI) Online* reported.
TJI said the move will mean higher travel costs for consumers. That will offset savings made from the current range of lower-priced package tours.
TJI said this marks the fourth time since April 2005 that the fuel surcharge has been raised, though some airlines have not applied it in every case.
Continental Airlines and Korean Air have set the surcharge for the Pacific route at ¥8,000 one way, matching that of Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways.
On the other hand, the surcharge on the European route was raised some +160% to US$60 on average, still much lower than any of the Japanese airlines.
Courtesy of TJI here are the hiked surcharges set for April 1 (with the current surcharges shown in brackets).
– Continental Airlines: Pacific route, Â¥8,000 (V7,000 yen); Honolulu, Â¥8,000 yen (Â¥5,000); and Micronesia, Â¥3,900 yen (Â¥2,000)
– Alitalia: Â¥5,400 (US$43)
– KLM Royal Dutch Airlines: Â¥5,500 yen (€27)
– Lufthansa German Airlines: US$60 (US$37)
– Austrian Airlines: US$52 (US$37)
– Scandinavian Airlines: US$60 (US$47)
– Emirates: US$66 (US$48)
– EgyptAir: US$45 (US$30)
– Korean Air: Â¥1,300 (Â¥1,000); Fukuoka/Pusan, Â¥900 (Â¥700); North America, Â¥8,000 (Â¥5,000)
– Asiana Airlines: Â¥1,300 (Â¥700); Fukuoka, Pusan/Cheju, Â¥1,000; (Fukuoka/Pusan, Â¥500, Fukuoka/Cheju, Â¥700)
– Philippine Airlines: US$32 (US$15.20)
– Malaysia Airlines: US$57 (US$34)
– Shanghai Airlines: US$12
– Hainan Airlines: US$25 (US$12)
– Air India: India, US$25 (US$15); Thailand, US$15 (US$10); Hong Kong, US$12 (US$6.80)
– Australia Airlines: US$66 (US$48) – still pending
– Qantas Airways: US$66 (US$48) – still pending
– Thai Airways International: US$35 (US$25)
In all, so far some 18 foreign airlines have received or are expected to receive Japanese government approval to hike their fuel surcharge rates.
*Note: The Moodie Report works closely with Travel Journal International Online, which is the pre-eminent provider of information on the Japanese travel industry. To subscribe, please click here.. It comes with our highest recommendation.
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