Florida AG reviews fuel surcharge

[jleq1]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20080205/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_cruises_fuel_surcharge_1

 

[viet630]

This is good news! I still say it should not have been put on existing bookings, just new ones after the date it was instituted!

 

[Camelia]

I don't understand why they don't just raise ticket prices to cover the increased cost in fuel. Can somebody please explain that. Ticket prices change, so why not just adjust them for fuel?

 

[Cruizer]

[quote Camelia]I don't understand why they don't just raise ticket prices to cover the increased cost in fuel. Can somebody please explain that. Ticket prices change, so why not just adjust them for fuel?[/quote]Carnival cannot retroactively change the ticket price. However, Carnival believes that it can retroactively add or increase a surcharge.

 

[Camelia]

Thanks Cruizer. That makes sense for the tickets already bought. They shouldn't have done that (retroactively add a surcharge); they should have known that consumers will be outraged. Carnival should have just increased future ticket prices to cover their fuel costs.

 

[Cruzman]

[quote Camelia]I don't understand why they don't just raise ticket prices to cover the increased cost in fuel. Can somebody please explain that. Ticket prices change, so why not just adjust them for fuel?[/quote]

Another consideration is the fact that TA commissions are based on the cruise price less taxes and gov't fees, and, in this case, fuel surcharge. If the surcharge is built into the basic cruise price, it will be commissionable.