Virgin Blue to raise baggage fees, fuel levy

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This was published 13 years ago

Virgin Blue to raise baggage fees, fuel levy

By Andrew Heasley

Virgin Blue is set to hike the fuel surcharge levy on tickets and charge up to twice the amount for baggage, blaming rising fuel prices.

On the airline's international flights on V Australia to the US, it is increasing the fuel surcharge levy by $30 each way, up from $85 to $115.

The increase applies to tickets sold from March 9.

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Baggage charges are also rising from March 1, whether pre-purchased online or charged at the airport, on national and international flights.

For baggage pre-paid online for Virgin Blue domestic flights, the airline will charge $12 each way, a $2 increase per sector.

For passengers paying at the check-in counter at airports, the fee will double, from $20 to $40 on Virgin Blue domestic routes, each way.

On Pacific Blue international flights (to New Zealand, Fiji, Port Vila and Tonga, Phuket, Bali, Port Moresby, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa), the baggage fees will rise from $40 to $60, a 50 per cent rise, each way.

Excess baggage charges on both Virgin Blue domestic routes and Pacific Blue international flights will rise 50 per cent too, to $15 a kilo, up from $10 a kilo, each way.

"These changes are being made in response to current high global fuel prices which Virgin Blue has been absorbing for some time. The changes will result in some of these costs being partially recovered," the airline said today.

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Excess baggage on V Australia flights remain unchanged at $135 a bag to the US, $US100 a bag on flights from the US, $50 a kilo to South Africa (the route is set be terminated next week), and $20 a kilo to Thailand.

The Virgin Blue increases come just days after Qantas flagged impending price increases.

From February 19, Qantas international passengers will pay $20 to $50 more each way for the fuel surcharge, depending on the route.

Qantas is also raising airfares 5 per cent from February 25 on domestic, regional and trans-Tasman flights, and has foreshadowed higher ancillary and baggage charges on Jetstar.

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