New Credit Card Booking Fee

[RichardMannion]

As from today, there will be a £3 per passenger credit card booking fee (none for debit cards).

Regardless of whether you book online or not, and you still have to pay even if you have a VS AmEx. [:0]

I could understand charging it to telephone bookings to encourage a drive to online bookings as it's a cheaper CoS but then we know that a) VS never did display great amounts of common sense or fore planning and b) it does require stable online infrastructure.

[Nottingham Nick]

Originally posted by RichardMannion
.... and you still have to pay even if you have a VS AmEx. [:0]

Thanks Virgin, you certainly know how to encourage brand loyalty. [n][n]

Nick

[HighFlyer]

Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
Thanks Virgin, you certainly know how to encourage brand loyalty.

Exactly, even Bmi waive the booking fee if you are using a branded credit card. That says a lot!

Thanks,
Sarah

[Neil]

These charges really get my goat, and its an insult to charge you when you use the VS Amex card, the marketing for it, almost actively encourages you to book your flights on it [V]

They really are idiots

If thats instead of the 1.5% to 2.5% cc fee most companies charge it seems ok to me, sorry to go against the grain.

[mcmbenjamin]

Is the fee charged if booked via a travel agent?

This has always irritated me with VH and now VS as well. I don't pay extra for my food, petrol, CDs, hotel bookings, my son's student tuition ( could go on, but won't) because I pay by credit card rather than cash or debit card. What's different about the travel industry ?

Paul

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by mcmbenjamin
Is the fee charged if booked via a travel agent?

If I book via a travel agent I pay so much per sector - I think it was Û25 per person. I seem to remember having to pay an extra Û200 on to a flight to HNL and KOA via SFO for the two of us. [:0] That was the last time I used a travel agent

[Decker]

Originally posted by pjh
This has always irritated me with VH and now VS as well. I don't pay extra for my food, petrol, CDs, hotel bookings, my son's student tuition ( could go on, but won't) because I pay by credit card rather than cash or debit card. What's different about the travel industry ?

Paul

I'd guess the margins are so tight that 2-4% makes all the difference.

I bought two flight today with BA using my VS Amex with no Charge. I think there is some irony in there somewhere.

Paul

Surely it's the latest in another line of scams? Add it to the 'admin' charge levied by booking online stuff such as theatre or film tickets, which I find equally irritating. Especially when you consider that, in all probability, air tickets and the like already factor in some kind of cost to pass on fees charged by credit cards companies? Wasn't buying online supposed to be cheaper? Makes a nonsense of the whole thing. And, while on the subject, M & S is open enough to tell you that their prices include cc fees, regardless of how you pay.....

[Decker]

M & S is open enough to tell you that their prices include cc fees, regardless of how you pay.....

I suspect you'll find that announcing this was an ill-fated attempt on the part of retailers to get around having to pay VAT on that portion or somesuch...

On the subject of M&S was in the Ealing branch yesterday and saw that the fasttrack signs now read "5 items or less". When did this change?

Do you know, looking at my BA purchase which was for 2 club tickets, I see over £400 in taxes and charges. It hurts to see it in one lump like that - I mean that is more than an economy flight to most US destinations.

What are the government going to do when they guilt everyone into to flying less?

Paul

Originally posted by easygoingeezer
If thats instead of the 1.5% to 2.5% cc fee most companies charge it seems ok to me, sorry to go against the grain.

I agree - my travel agent charges 2.5% (Visa/MC) or 3% (Amex).

However, this charge should be waived if using a VS Amex when booking directly with the airline. [V]

[RichardMannion]

Originally posted by NS

Originally posted by easygoingeezer
If thats instead of the 1.5% to 2.5% cc fee most companies charge it seems ok to me, sorry to go against the grain.

I agree - my travel agent charges 2.5% (Visa/MC) or 3% (Amex).

However, this charge should be waived if using a VS Amex when booking directly with the airline. [V]

You shoudl speak to AmEx about that, they have a suppression team to deal with merchants that charge more to take AmEx than another credit (not debit) card. They may issue a credit towards the difference too.

Thanks,
Richard

Has anyone asked VS for an opinion on waiving the fee for VS Amex card holders? (making sure Virgin Money customers get no such benefit of course [}:)])

Originally posted by RichardMannion

Originally posted by NS

Originally posted by easygoingeezer
If thats instead of the 1.5% to 2.5% cc fee most companies charge it seems ok to me, sorry to go against the grain.

I agree - my travel agent charges 2.5% (Visa/MC) or 3% (Amex).

However, this charge should be waived if using a VS Amex when booking directly with the airline. [V]

You shoudl speak to AmEx about that, they have a suppression team to deal with merchants that charge more to take AmEx than another credit (not debit) card. They may issue a credit towards the difference too.

Thanks,
Richard

Thank you Richard - wasn't aware of that! [y]

while it isn't a high charge I can't help but feel that once VS get us used to paying it will go up 'in line with market'

With the removal of the £5 on line booking discount a few years ago, you could say we have already been paying a booking fee!

With many VS tickets being the same price as BA it suggests a perfect maketplace, of sorts. Therefore, it doesn't matter if the fee is £3, £10 or £50. All that will happen is that the headline ticket price will fall by £3, £10 or £50 so the customer ends up paying exactly the same amount as before the fee was introduced. Except that debit card payers get to pay less, so VS should be applauded for introducing this fee, not be criticised.

And, I would prefer the fee to be larger for Amex users - why should Mastercard payers subsidise the higher merchant commission that Amex charge?