Virgin Atlantic Just Hiked Award Fees Again
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has quietly raised its award ticket surcharges for the second time in less than a year.
Without any warning, Virgin Atlantic raised fees on award tickets by approximately $50 to $250 each way across the Atlantic, depending on the cabin and direction of travel, as first reported by Thrifty Traveler.
Specifically, a one-way economy award from the U.S. to London jumped from around $111 to $164, while premium economy climbed from $240 to $298, and business class went from roughly $586 to $701.
Flying home from the U.K. is even more painful. Business class departing London now carries nearly $970 in taxes and fees. A hefty fee for using your miles.
When you add it all up for a round trip, the cheapest economy option now will cost you 12,000 points plus about $500 per person. Business class is 58,000 points and a jaw-dropping $1,677 in fees.
Conclusion
Airlines are looking for more revenue due to rising fuel costs in the last two months. We saw all major domestic airlines increase checked baggage fees just last week.
But when fuel costs eventually come down, airlines have little incentive to pass those savings back to consumers.
