All Nippon Airways (ANA) might be growing gas surcharges even additional for bookings as of October 2022, which isn’t nice information for these reserving award journey to & from Japan via many frequent flyer applications. I discover the timing of this to be actually suspicious, particularly with Japan lastly reopening its borders.
All Nippon Airways hikes gas surcharges
Japanese Star Alliance provider ANA might be updating its gas surcharges for bookings made as of October 1, 2022, and it’s not excellent news. With this alteration, a flight from the US to Japan may have $434 in gas surcharges one-way, whatever the cabin you’re touring in (which is uncommon, as a result of most airways have increased gas surcharges in premium cabins).
Beneath is a chart exhibiting the gas surcharges for journey originating outdoors of Japan for bookings as of October 1, 2022.
For context, under are the gas surcharges for journey originating outdoors of Japan for bookings via September 30, 2022.
By way of early 2022, ANA nearly had no gas surcharges, however since then, we’ve seen enhance after enhance (that is no less than the fifth enhance we’ve seen this 12 months). I no less than respect that ANA’s gas surcharges have mirrored the fact of oil costs… till now.
What am I lacking? Oil costs have dropped significantly since their peak, but ANA simply retains elevating and elevating gas surcharges. Can anybody make sense of that, aside from pondering that the airline is making an attempt to compensate for the devalued JPY, and maybe making an attempt to make the most of the tourism increase that’s about to occur?
I additionally get that Russian airspace closures have meant that ANA has been working some circuitous routings, however that has been the case for a lot of months now.
What are gas surcharges, anyway?
For these of you not acquainted with the idea of gas surcharges, these are charges that airways have been charging for years on tickets. They had been launched when oil costs had been excessive a few years in the past as a brief measure, however for many airways have by no means been eradicated.
Clearly that’s very handy on their half — airways add charges when prices go up, however not often eradicate them when prices go down. ANA no less than deserves credit score for traditionally not having terribly excessive charges, and adjusting them considerably to mirror oil costs. At the least that was the case till now.
What are the implications of ANA growing surcharges?
With ANA growing gas surcharges on most itineraries, what does that truly imply for customers? Will tickets now be costlier? Not essentially.
For years airways in most areas have needed to promote “all-in” pricing, which means the pricing you see from an airline consists of all taxes, charges, and (gas) surcharges. Due to this fact for income tickets, when an airline raises gas surcharges, the bottom fare usually decreases proportionally (although with charges this excessive, it does basically create a minimal fare you’ll be charged in varied markets).
For OMAAT readers the largest implications are for award tickets, particularly with the applications that do go on gas surcharges to customers:
- This doesn’t affect ANA awards via Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, or United MileagePlus, since these applications don’t go on gas surcharges on these awards
- This does affect ANA awards via All Nippon Airways Mileage Membership and Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, since these applications do go on gas surcharges
One of the best ways to e book All Nippon Airways first & enterprise class awards continues to be via Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, given the exceptionally low award pricing:
- Enterprise class awards between the US mainland or Europe and Japan price 45,000-47,500 factors one-way
- Top notch awards between the US mainland or Europe and Japan price 55,000-60,000 factors one-way
Sadly the worth of that can get considerably worse shortly, as you’re $434 in gas surcharges alone, and that doesn’t even account for taxes and different charges.
Backside line
All Nippon Airways will as soon as once more be considerably growing gas surcharges as of October 1, 2022. ANA had roughly eradicated these till early 2022, after which elevated them to mirror increased oil costs. At the least that was the case till now — I’m unsure how ANA can justify growing gas surcharges whereas oil costs are reducing.
The largest implication right here is for these redeeming factors, notably via applications like All Nippon Airways Mileage Membership and Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, which do go on these charges.
What do you make of All Nippon Airways growing surcharges?
