The New Color-Coded Fuel Surcharges On Award Tickets Master Thread!

[Dan]

I hate paying huge BS fees on free tickets.  These fees can be as high as $300, $400, or even $800 on a ticket!
Avoid accumulating miles on airlines that charge these fees and hopefully they'll see the errors of the their ways...
Just recently, South African and SAS has ditched their fuel surcharges on award tickets, hopefully more will follow!  It's just a poor way to reward loyalty and is a dishonest business practice.

If anyone would like to volunteer to help categorize more airlines that would be great!

Color codes:
Green (7 programs): Never charges a fuel surcharge on their own or partner award tickets.
Lime (2 program): Does not charge a fuel surcharge for their own or for partner flights except for when flying on select partners.
Blue (3 programs): Charges a fuel surcharge for flying on their own metal and for flying on partners that normally collect a fuel surcharge for flying on their own metal.  Does not charge a fuel surcharge for flying on partners that normally do not collect a fuel surcharge when flying on their own metal.
Purple (1 program): Doesn't charge a fuel surcharge for their own or partner flights originating from the US.  Charges a fuel surcharge for their own and for partner flights originating outside of the US.
Teal (1 program):Charges a fuel surcharge for their own and for partner flights except for when flying on select partners.
Red (8 programs): Always charges a fuel surcharge on award tickets, even on partners that normally don't charge a fuel surcharge.
Orange (21 programs): Unknown or incomplete info.

Star:
Adria:
Air Canada: Charges a fuel surcharge for flying on their own metal.  Does not charge a fuel surcharge for flying on partner airlines.
Note: As of 01/29 if you fly on these carriers you will pay a fuel surcharge: Adria, Air Canada, ANA, Asiana, Austrian, bmi, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, TAP Portugal, and THAI.
Air China:
Air New Zealand: (Does charge on own metal, unknown about partners)
ANA: Charges a fuel surcharge for their own and for partner flights except for when flying on select partners.
Note: SQ charges a surcharge for travel on most partners, with the exceptions being United and USAirways..[/color]
Asiana: (Does charge on own metal, unknown about partners)
Austrian:
BMI: Always charges a fuel surcharge on award tickets, even on partners that normally don't charge a fuel surcharge.
EgyptAir:
Miles And More (Adria, Austrian, Brussels, Croatia, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, and Swiss): Always charges a fuel surcharge on award tickets, even on partners that normally don't charge a fuel surcharge.
Exception: No fuel surcharge for redeeming any Miles and More carrier on miles for flying on Lot Polish.
EuroBonus (Blue1, SAS): Never charges a fuel surcharge on their own or partner award tickets.
Shanghai:
Singapore: Charges a fuel surcharge for their own and for partner flights except for when flying on select partners.
Note: Singapore charges a surcharge for travel on most partners, with the exceptions being United and USAirways..
South African: Never charges a fuel surcharge on their own or partner award tickets.
TAM: Never charges a fuel surcharge on their own or partner award tickets.
Tap Portugal
Thai:   (Does charge on own metal, unknown about partners)
Turkish:   (Does charge on own metal, unknown about partners)
United: Never charges a fuel surcharge on their own or partner award tickets.
USAirways: Never charges a fuel surcharge on their own or partner award tickets.
Note: US does charge an award processing fee of $25-$50, but phone fees are waived for partner award flights

OneWorld:
AA: Does not charge a fuel surcharge for their own or for partner flights except for when flying on select partners.
Note: AA does charge a hefty fuel surcharge for redemption on partner British Airways, and a small fuel surcharge for flying on Iberia, however they do not charge it for redemption on their own metal or on other partners.
British Airways:Charges a fuel surcharge for their own and for partner flights except for when flying on select partners.
Note: BA charges a surcharge for travel on most partners, with the exceptions being LAN flights and AA flights that do not cross the Atlantic or Pacific oceans.
Cathay Pacific: Always charges a fuel surcharge on award tickets, even on partners that normally don't charge a fuel surcharge.
Finnair:
Iberia:
JAL:  Always charges a fuel surcharge on award tickets, even on partners that normally don't charge a fuel surcharge.
LAN: Never charges a fuel surcharge on their own or partner award tickets.
Qantas: Charges a fuel surcharge for flying on their own metal and for flying on partners that normally collect a fuel surcharge.  Does not charge a fuel surcharge for flying on partners that normally do not collect a fuel surcharge.
Royal Jordanian:

Skyteam:
Aeroflot:
AeroMexico:
Alitalia: Always charges a fuel surcharge on award tickets, even on partners that normally don't charge a fuel surcharge.
China Southern:
Czech:
Delta: Doesn't charge a fuel surcharge for their own or partner flights originating from the US.  Charges a fuel surcharge for their own and for partner flights originating outside of the US.
Note: Delta does charge a hefty fuel surcharge for redemption on partners Malaysia and Virgin Australia, even on flight originating in the United States.
Flying Blue (AirEuropa, Air France, Kenya, KLM): Charges a fuel surcharge for flying on their own metal and for flying on partners that normally collect a fuel surcharge.  Does not charge a fuel surcharge for flying on partners that normally do not collect a fuel surcharge.
Note: This means no fuel surcharges for Delta flights.
Korean:
Tarom:
Vietnam:

Unaligned:
Alaska: Does not charge a fuel surcharge for their own or for partner flights except for when flying on select partners.
Note: Alaska does charge a hefty fuel surcharge for redemption on partner British Airways, however they do not charge it for redemption on their own metal or on other partners like AA, Air France/KLM, Cathay Pacific, Delta, or Qantas.
El Al: Always charges a fuel surcharge on award tickets.
Emirates: Never charges a fuel surcharge on their own or partner award tickets.
Virgin Atlantic: Always charges a fuel surcharge on award tickets, even on partners that normally don't charge a fuel surcharge.

[Dan]

Updated the list...if anyone has experience with any other airlines or data points please chime in!

[SuperFlyer]

Updated the list...if anyone has experience with any other airlines or data points please chime in!

to category 5 you can add all European FF programs.

[Dan]

to category 5 you can add all European FF programs.

Not BA.
Which ones specifically? Does BMI and LH charge a fuel surcharge on CO award tickets?

[SuperFlyer]

I dont really care what you call them. If tickets have more often then not $300+ charges, its called fuel surcharge by me, even if it isn't.

[Dan]

I dont really care what you call them. If tickets have more often then not $300+ charges, its called fuel surcharge by me, even if it isn't.

Of course, I just wanted to confirm that they do have those charges on tickets when traveling on CO.

[YOSEF]

Hey guys,
First off, thanks Dan for that amazing chart on the main site regarding fees etc.; its really GREAT!!

What about the other (outside U.S.) carriers most common to the forums users?
does anyone know about:
BA (i know taxes in England are crazy high, but what about non-England flights?)
LAN
ANA?

I don't mind doing the grunt work, but if people know offhand, why use that time? right?
Thanks

[SuperFlyer]

Pls be more specific

[YOSEF]

BA's booking/fuel fees to Israel from the states?
ANA's?
LAN's fees within North America?

[Mikeoracle]

BA to tlv has a stop in LHR- coach is about $500+ for fees and Biz is about $700+

ANA passes on the fees of the carrier you fly on so if you fly CO or US it is only about $50 if you fly with LH or LX it can be a few hundred.
There are extensive discussions on award fees elsewhere in the DD forums.

[YOSEF]

BA to tlv has a stop in LHR- coach is about $500+ for fees and Biz is about $700+

ANA passes on the fees of the carrier you fly on so if you fly CO or US it is only about $50 if you fly with LH or LX it can be a few hundred.
There are extensive discussions on award fees elsewhere in the DD forums.

I know...I was more looking to centralize it.
And if noone posts in a few days, I will start sifting through to do it myself, but if someone knows offhand, then GREAT!!!

[aussiebochur]

Am I correct in assuming that the above chart is only for fuel charges and that there are additional taxes?

[Dan]

Am I correct in assuming that the above chart is only for fuel charges and that there are additional taxes?

Taxes should be the same from airline to airline and are mandatory.  Fuel Surcharges are the difference between the airlines.

[ChAiM'l]

Does this mean that I could book, say LON-ZRH on BA through AA and not pay the surcharges?

[Dan]

Does this mean that I could book, say LON-ZRH on BA through AA and not pay the surcharges?

Correct.

[andrew]

how would i be able to see the charges that the airlines im taking charge?
for e.g if i book thru ana a tlv-vienna on austria then go to zurich then tlv?

[aussiebochur]

how would i be able to see the charges that the airlines im taking charge?
for e.g if i book thru ana a tlv-vienna on austria then go to zurich then tlv?

If all else fails you could use Dans advice.

[Mikeoracle]

how would i be able to see the charges that the airlines im taking charge?
for e.g if i book thru ana a tlv-vienna on austria then go to zurich then tlv?

ANA site will only show you the fees if there are enough points in the account for the ticket you are trying to book. Even then they wont always show the fees as they sometimes need to check with the airlines.
Over the phone they will sometimes give you an amount or an aproximate.

[andrew]

does anyone know the fees for the following airlines
1)ALITaLIA    2)CHEZK air      3)SINGAPORE   4) iberia

[Dan]

Original post has been updated.