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High Airfares and Crude Oil Prices

Lower Fuel Costs Equal Lower Air Fares – We Wish

Airlines for months now have been increasing their Air fare almost through the roof and charging customers for everything they can lay their hands on, from Fuel surcharges, checking in Luggage fees, Charging for Pillow and Blankets to Paying for Drinks and food. Their excuse has been the high cost of fuel.

Now the cost of Crude Oil is dropping, the question is, when are the Airlines going to decrease the prices of their fares to reflect the reduced cost of fuel?

Airlines were quick to make increases and add additional charges because of the high fuel costs, I’m sure its going to be a slow a long process for them to decrease the prices, if they make any decreases at all.

Customers have no choice but to pay the prices the Airlines Charge, but the price should be a true reflection of the costs incurred. No-one wants Airline companies to loose money but it is clear that if the price of Crude Oil drops the Cost goes down for the airline, this saving should in turn be passed onto the customer, by decreasing the Air fare prices.

Only time will tell if any changes by the Airlines will be implemented, but I am not very hopeful that the Travellers will benefit from this decrease in Crude Oil Prices.

Somebody asked me a question the other day, why does a direct Economy Flight from London England to Lagos Nigeria cost up to £850 about $1600? Which is about five and a half hours flight, and then an Economy Flight from London England to Sydney Australia which is about twenty hours costs a lot less, almost half?

It seems to me that it is not only the cost of Fuel that impacts the price of Air fare, in this case a direct flight from London England to Lagos Nigeria, is monopolised by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Nigeria, which is also operated by Virgin Group.

As you can see airlines are being disingenuous in their argument and its high time the Airlines offer customers Value for Money, even in the less competitive routes like London, Lagos.

It is impossible to get by today without travelling, by car, train or plane. People do not only travel for pleasure and holidays but also as an every day part of life, for Business and making a living. The costs and charges incurred by travelling should reflect the value in service received by the traveller.

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