Double dipping, corporate-style.

February 13, 2006 4:32 PM

How legitimate is it to add a new fee or charge after they've billed you for something and it's already been charged to your credit card?

I got a plane ticket with my frequent flyer miles last year, but they only allowed me to book a round trip ticket. I was allowed to rebook within the year for a relatively small fee, and set a date for later this year. I was quoted a price I'd pay, which showed up a little while later on my CC bill, along with an email invoice for that amount.

A few weeks later, I received a second invoice indicating that they had charged my card again with a fuel surcharge. Now, is this legit? I mean, I understand that fuel costs have risen, but if I'm given a price and invoiced electronically and have that payment taken out of my card, do they really have the ability to just tack on a fuel surcharge at a later date? This seems like the big business equivalent of those gym scams where they get your CC number and just go to town. According to the customer service manager, since I got this ticket through the frequent flyer miles program, the money "was not with them" and my only recourse was to get the ticket refunded. This seems a little dumb, considering it's not like I'm buying an appliance or something, but rather purchasing something on which I base a ton of other plans.

posted by Big Fat Tycoon to law & government (6 comments total)

Did you tell them when you rebooked your ticket that the original was bought with frequent flyer miles? The extra surcharge may be due to limitations on the frequent flyer program (blackout dates etc) that "compensates" the airline for these work-arounds. I expect it's actually a work-around surcharge. But I don't work for an airline so I'm only guessing.
posted by dness2 at 4:47 PM on February 13, 2006

I had to rebook the ticket through the frequent flyer miles program, actually, so yes, they would have known.
posted by Big Fat Tycoon at 4:51 PM on February 13, 2006

Well so much for that thought then.
posted by dness2 at 5:19 PM on February 13, 2006

I received a second invoice indicating that they had charged my card again with a fuel surcharge.

You already had a contract with the airline for transportation. They can't increase the price after the fact.

my only recourse was to get the ticket refunded

You can also dispute the matter with your credit card company (in writing). Which is exactly what I would do in this situation. Let the airline prove that they are entitled to this money.
posted by grouse at 12:32 AM on February 14, 2006

This seems like the big business equivalent of those gym scams where they get your CC number and just go to town.

In all probability, they had to pay the airline for the fuel surcharge. If so, this isn't a scam - it's a question of whether they eat the extra cost, or if you do.

We're talking about - what - $30 or $40? You can certainly dispute this with the credit card company, at the risk of a little less credibility if/when another dispute (with another company) arises. Is this something that you really want to pick a fight about? You can write letters to folks, starting with the CEO of (whatever - it's a bit unclear from the question), asking for the refund, and they might even give it to you. What does all this work out to in dollars per hour of your time?
posted by WestCoaster at 10:44 AM on February 14, 2006

this isn't a scam - it's a question of whether they eat the extra cost, or if you do.

Based on the little information provided here, the OP has a contract for transportation in exchange for consideration in the form of frequent flyer miles. Unless it specified that the airline could unilaterally add charges after the contract had been agreed, it is a scam.

You can certainly dispute this with the credit card company, at the risk of a little less credibility if/when another dispute (with another company) arises.

Based on what I've seen and understood, there's really not a grey area here, so I wouldn't worry about it. If you don't ever use your credibility with the card issuer, what's the point of having it?
posted by grouse at 5:29 AM on February 15, 2006