Building fuel surcharges back into ticket prices would be a “logistical nightmare”, the UK general manager for British Airways has admitted.
Richard Tams, speaking at Advantage conference’s business travel debate, said the airline was constantly reviewing the implications of putting fuel surcharges back into ticket fares.
But he said: “Logistically it’s a nightmare. Once you have got it back in, every time you want to increase the fare you have to refile the fare on the network.
Another reason is that discounted rates would have to be increased to take account of the fuel surcharge, he said.
But business travel consultant Tony Pilcher, of Pilcher Associates, argued: “It is time for airlines to build surcharges back in.”