Airline ticket fees and surcharges
Hate standing in security lines in the airport? This won't cheer you up much: you are helping to pay for the massive investments in air-travel security every time you purchase an airline ticket. Every flight you board will cost you $2.50 in security fees, up to a maximum of $5 per one-way trip.
But that's just the beginning of air-travel taxes, which also include a basic federal tax of 7.5 percent, a Passenger Flight Segment Tax of $3.40 for each takeoff and landing, a $15.10 per passenger tax for international arrivals and departures, and passenger facility charges -- levied by airports -- that can range from $3 to $4.50 per segment, up to a maximum of $18 per ticket sold, according to the Associated Press.
With rising oil prices, airlines and cruise lines also have taken to adding "fuel surcharges" to the price of tickets, typically $5 to $10. What's the difference between a fuel surcharge and a fare increase? Nothing, except it allows airlines and cruise lines to advertise lower fares while mentioning the fuel surcharge only in the fine print. Either way, you pay.
