cheaptickets.com, confusion over taxes

[hollyb]

Like many or most International travellers being able to afford Transoceanic flights to visit my sister depends on getting a great price. Being semi-retired I'm at fairly flexible on dates.

Cheaptickets.com looks like a nice site, well organized for looking up International prices.

But I wonder how reliable their information on extra taxes and fees is for International flights?

For example, I just checked on SFO-LON prices for a date roughly 3 weeks away and the response says that American airlines charges USD374 extra taxes and fees round trip but NorthWest Air charges USD172 for the same round trip taxes and fees, but to LGW rather than LHR.

Can there really be that much difference between Heathrow and Gatwick or does it have to be a mistake?

I know at one time transatlantic taxes and fees were quite a bit different according the whether you changed planes in Canada or not, but anyway MSP is not in Canada, at least not yet!

NW at 706+172==USD808 SFO-LHR-SFO would not be such a good deal compared with

AA at 574+347==USD921 SFO-LGW-SFO if in fact the $172 were a bait and switch.

Does anyone have experience of this or is my experience unique?

thanks,

Holly in California near SFO.

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

Taxes between different airports and vary greatly. As well, even at the same airport, there can be a HUGE disparity between the depature tax and the arrival tax. Why not check the same itineraries thru Expedia and see if you get similar prices/taxes.

If you do book please use our CheapTickets link or any of the other links in our support page.

Let us know how you make out.

[OSUBUCKEYES]

As of last year or possibly the beginning of this year, the British greatly increased airport taxes. If you havent traveled that route in a year or so you may see a decent jump.