Puzzled over added taxes
 

I have been looking at flights from SJO to EZE. Several fares are listed without taxes and then add the taxes on the next screen. However, the taxes are all different! Huh? One shows taxes of about $85 and one shows taxes of $47 and another shows taxes of $52. Are these really taxes or just taxes plus some kind of fee? Another layer of confusion to the whole thing.

Taxes plus fees. Can vary by airline, routing, etc.

This is for the exact same flight on the exact same airline but with three different amounts for "taxes" based on which website you go to. The airline website has the most at $85.

Most of the "taxes" will be fees charged by the airline but kept out of the headline price in order to make it look cheaper. Different websites will have different rules for deciding what to include in the headline price

Perhaps you should write to your senator and campaign for headline prices to include all unavoidable fees and taxes

Or write your senator and ask that all taxes be clearly stated so that we can appreciate how much they are.

You also have to be sure when comparing that you are at the final page which shows total cost. On some third party sites you don't see all the fees until the very last page just before you confirm the purchase.

What I saw was base ticket price plus "taxes" equals final price and on three different web sites, there were three different amounts for "taxes." I guess it's just another hidden fee by the airline (one website) or the ticket sellers. This is a totally international flight - SJO to EZE with a stopover in Bogota. However, "taxes" listed on one website included all kinds of US taxes and fees that don't apply. Another of life's little mysteries, I guess.