Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit.
Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers.
Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport.
EVA Air began implementing its increase on March 1, while China Airlines would raise the cost by the same amount on Tuesday. Starlux plans to increase its booking fee by US$5 to US$30 on April 1.
However, Tigerair Taiwan’s booking fees remain unchanged at NT$400 per passenger per flight segment for peak-season flights and NT$300 for off-peak flights.
The three major airlines did not explain the reason for the increase.
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