HEllo!

I just looked at the Jet Blue website and saw a special they are currently running. The fine print, among other things, says that the fare does not include government fees and taxes which could cost up to 68.00. Is this standard on all airline tickets and how do you know before you purchase what the fees and taxes will be?

Yes, it is standard. You will be able to see the taxes before you buy. Go ahead and select the flights that you want on their webpage. You will eventually see a page showing the fare plus the applicable taxes and fees for each leg of your trip (i.e. outbound and return). And it will show you the subtotals and totals before you actually execute the purchase. They will show you (I am 99% sure of this) the taxes and total before you even enter your cc info.

Here is pricing for two adults and two children travelling between Washington Dulles and Sacramento in May. The base price was advertised at $85 for adult and child fares. The fare, below, of 79.07 reflects an online discount of $5 (I guess that instead of saying $84.07 for the fare, they just take it up to the next dollar for the fare quote).

<b>Departing Flight</b>
Airfare/Adult ......... US$ 79.07
Taxes/Adult (details). US$ 16.13
Subtotal/Adult ........ US$ 95.20
<b>X 2 Adults ........... US$ 190.40</b>

Airfare/Child ........ US$ 79.07
Taxes/Child (details). US$ 16.13
Subtotal/Child ....... US$ 95.20
<b>X 2 Children ......... US$ 190.40</b>

<b>Returning Flight</b>
Airfare/Adult ........ US$ 79.07
Taxes/Adult (details). US$ 16.13
Subtotal/Adult ....... US$ 95.20
<b>X 2 Adults ........... US$ 190.40</b>

Airfare/Child ........ US$ 79.07
Taxes/Child (details). US$ 16.13
Subtotal/Child ....... US$ 95.20
<b>X 2 Children ......... US$ 190.40</b>

<b>Total Cost of Flight - US$ 761.60</b>

Thank you, mrwunrfl!

Its a marketing ploy to make their fares seem lower. Some sites include the taxes in their listed fares, some exclude the taxes, hoping that once they have hooked you, you won't back out when they reveal the true cost. It has been my experience that, sometime during the purchasing process, before you have made your final committment, they do reveal the actual cost.

It's not a ploy. The OP was reading an ad, the typical one that shows the fare only with taxes and fees described in fine print. The fare is what the airlines compete with. It is their price for the product and all industries advertise their prices &quot;plus tax&quot;.

The fare between two cities would be the same for different routings but the taxes and fees could vary. I recently saw a roundtrip fare of $164 from IAD to LHR. It was on Lufthansa and went via FRA. The travelocity fee was $5 and the taxes,etc. were another $220+

I can hardly blame LH for advertising their fare at $164 when governments are piling on all those taxes.

Go to the American Airlines or Continental websites and you may see that they quote fares inclusive of taxes. Go to a gas station and look at the prices quoted.

Learn to recognize a ploy when you see one. One of the valid complaints is that some sites are inclusive of taxes, while some exclude takes in their initial price, so you have to be alert about what you are reading.

A ploy is a device or strategem to make something appear to be other than what it really is.

I don't want to get into a dispute, so my final posting here will be to advise you to go to the american airlines or continental web site, for example, and you will see the prices quoted are inclusive of taxes. Go buy gasoline.

My point is that some places advertise a cost, exclusive of taxes, that is less than the true cost, while others do not, so when you are shopping for a fare, you have to be alert to this ploy.

Airlines' own websites often list prices without taxes, in their &quot;specials&quot;, or &quot;promotions&quot; sections, as the OP finds on Jetblue. It happens with most airlines. But when you actually book the flights, they'll show you the final cost before you commit to anything.

Only sites that you won't know the tax or the final costs are Priceline, Hotwire, or other bidding sites. Those you really have to be careful about. Hotels aren't that bad, but rental car and air ticket fees/taxes can be significant.

And sites that compare prices usually give you the final costs for each airline.

Not saying which one is correct/ethical, which one is not. Like some of you're saying, gasoline prices from pumps include tax, while merchandise prices inside the store don't. But in most countries of the world, a VAT is included. Like when you buy things at a store in Canada, it often includes &gt;15% federal and province taxes.

Just to not scare anyone off - you <b>do</b> know the taxes and fees before you bid on priceline. You put in the cities, dates and amount you're willing to pay, then click next and you'll see a screen listing the total price. From there you have to give them a credit card and confirm the bid. If the taxes are too high, you can go back and adjust your bid before you submit it.

Hotwire also gives you the total price before you accept.

It works that way for all bids - airfare, hotels and cars.