Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

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sn26567
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Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by sn26567 »

In all discretion Brussels Airlines has introduced a credit card surcharge of 5 euros per passenger and per trip. From the website: "A transaction fee of 5€ will be charged when you pay your booking departing Brussels with your credit card. Debit methods of payment are available and are free of charge."

The free debit cards payments are with Bancontact/MisterCash and a few online banking transactions (ING, KBC/CBC, Dexia, etc.).

No press release about this new charge!
André
ex Sabena #26567

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SilverJET
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Re: Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by SilverJET »

I already paid a credit card surcharge when I booked in the past. Last time was september 2008 when booking a trip to Malaga. So nothing new I think.
Best Regards Raymond

summersso
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Re: Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by summersso »

sn26567 wrote:Brussels Airlines has introduced a credit card surcharge of 5 euros per passenger and per trip
Can anyone please explain why airlines charge credit card fees PER PASSENGER or PER LEG? It's complete nonsense as the transaction only goes through once! Is this, like "booking fees" just another scam? And should we expect Brussels Airlines to introduce a €10 booking fee like Lufthansa?

Acid-drop
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Re: Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by Acid-drop »

It's a shame. Nothing can justify this.
On the other hand, I don't think that people who use BRU air are looking for the best prices ... but still.

To be honest, they should just call it "the stupid excuse" fee or the "scam" fee.

Ducatibiker
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Re: Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by Ducatibiker »

This is being going on for a quite a while now...

There was a time where the passenger was rewarded for booking on internet with extra miles and no fee...because the airline then - Sabena - wanted to avoid paying a commission to travel agents.

So, time to travel agents to be pro active: no fee, extra incentive to book through a travel agent.
But not only the airlines and travel agents are in the equation, credit cards company should also review their commission and be pro-active by really rewarding their customers

Just have a look at the different American Express Reward Programs in the world and you will see big differences between U.S./Germany...and Belgium. Guess which one is the worst !

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sn26567
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Re: Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by sn26567 »

Please find hereunder an explanation provided by Brussels Airlines:
Dear Mr [my name]

Brussels Airlines introduced a credit card fee almost one year ago when it made the option of transactions with other payment methods possible. These other methods are free of charge. The Visa fee is due to the costs VISA is charging. Several IATA airlines have introduced a similar fee (KLM, ...) which is, as explained, avoidable. It was widely announced and picked up in several media.

Kind Regards

Geert Sciot
Vice President Communication | External Communication
André
ex Sabena #26567

airazurxtror
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Re: Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by airazurxtror »

The credit card fee is avoidable, but the booking (or service) fee is not (also 5 euros per european flight, 10 euros intercontinental).
But then, as somebody said above, if you really care for the cost, you don' fly Brussels Airlines ...

b720
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Re: Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by b720 »

They introduced the fee less than a year ago.. It is simply a rip-off..Honestly, per PAX rather than per booking..their pricing is not that clear either, taxes and surcharges very high.... .. If they can only survive by ripping off their clients, and still post pathetic figures at the end of the year, then they should simply fold and let other airlines connect BRU. Credit card charge per PAX while on the same booking with the same credit card, same payment is simply theft..so A family of 4 will have to pay 20 EURO in credit card fees on top of all other fees...

summersso
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Re: Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by summersso »

sn26567 wrote:Please find hereunder an explanation provided by Brussels Airlines:
Dear Mr [my name]

Brussels Airlines introduced a credit card fee almost one year ago when it made the option of transactions with other payment methods possible. These other methods are free of charge. The Visa fee is due to the costs VISA is charging. Several IATA airlines have introduced a similar fee (KLM, ...) which is, as explained, avoidable. It was widely announced and picked up in several media.

Kind Regards

Geert Sciot
Vice President Communication | External Communication

Could you now write back to Mr Sciot and ask him why exactly the credit card booking fee is per passenger rather than booking? Visa do not charge Commission per passenger, but rather a set fee/percentage. If a couple fly in Europe one-way for €100 then pay a €10 fee, but a single passenger flying to Africa for €800 return pays a €5 fee - nonsense! And Visa charge do not charge airlines a higher fee than they do any other industry - but we don't by CC charges on Amazon or SNCF/Thalys.

If they want to charge credit card fees they should just integrate it into the price of the ticket. My god this annoys me, I agree with b720 Brussels Airlines should just give up, I try to avoid these amateurs like the plague.

Air Key West
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Re: Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by Air Key West »

The situation regarding CC transaction fees and booking fees is, indeed, illogical, even chaotic. Just one example, book a b.air ticket from Sweden and there is no CC transaction fee. However, there still is a booking fee. But this does not probably apply to b.air only.
The airline industry is getting away with a lot of things, nowadays. Could you imagine doing your shopping at the supermarket or filling your car up with petrol, than paying with a credit card and having to pay a credit card fee + a fee just for using the supermarket or the petrol station ?
However, I seem to remember CC fees were first introduced by LCCs, and traditional carriers seeing that LCCs got away with it, introduced them, too.
In favor of quality air travel.

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sn26567
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Re: Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by sn26567 »

There was a time when issuers credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club) prohibited merchants to add any surcharge for the use of their credit cards. The penalty for infringing this clause was that the merchant was no longer allowed to accept the credit card for which he asked a surcharge.

I guess that times have changed under the pressure of some merchants, and in particular high yielding airlines.
André
ex Sabena #26567

airazurxtror
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Re: Brussels Airlines introduces credit card surcharge

Post by airazurxtror »

In all fairness to SN, and if I am not mistaken, it must be said that a normal debit bank card can be used, with no fee at all (nearly everybody in Belgium has such a bank card). This is not an option on most airlines sites.

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