The Great Indian Flight Story – How can service tax be different when the ticket is sold at around the same price?
Iam a normal Indian who does transactions on websites and feels happy that I have saved time. I was shocked to see what is happening in the Indian Airline Industry. For the uninitiated the industry has airlines who sell tickets through their website, offices, airline counters and agents – online and offline.
Iam restricting my observation to the airline Websites – Indigo and Kingfisher and Agent Websites – Cleartrip and MakeMyTrip.
I give below what I See are price break up for a flight for June15.
Comments :
There are no standard headings under which an airline and an agent can classify charges. Look at how IRCTC has ensured transparency of charges and price, why can’t the airline industry do the same.
The prices to the final consumer has to be the same on the airline website and on the agent website. What is the value add that these intermediaries are bringing to the table.
Incase you want to book a flight ticket, head to the airline website. Gone are the days when the ticket prices on agent websites were lower than the airline website.
Added to this the zero value addition from the intermediaries – do they offer you anything that airline websites don’t, do they have the muscle to take up the case of a traveler (wrong booking/change sector/preferred seats/discounts)
Incase you still go to an intermediary and for whatever reason you want to reschedule/cancel the ticket, you also end up paying more. With no value addition the agent earns money on the cancellation too. Why can’t you follow the IRCTC model. Why should a traveler pay cancellation fee to airline and to the agent.
Flight
Airline Website
Cleartrip Website
MakeMyTrip Website
Remarks
Indigo Flight 6E421 BOM-BLR
15-06
Base Fare&Airfuel Charge: Rs.2151
Passenger Service Fee: Rs.229
Transaction Charge: Rs.50
Service Tax: Rs.155
Total price: Rs.2585
Base Fare: Rs.1
Fuel surcharge Rs.2150
Psgr. Svc. Fee: Rs.229
Service Tax: Rs.7
Service Fee: Rs.70
Discount (-50)
Airline-misc: Rs.205
Total Rs.2612
Flight Base Fare: Rs.1
Flight Taxes & Fees: Rs.2724
Total: Rs.2725
Shouldn’t the service tax on the agent website be more than the company’s own website.
If between the agent and the airline the service tax paid is same, then prices should be same and the cancellation charges should be same.
When no standard components exist as an industry, cancellation and other charges are also not standard.
Kingfisher Airline
IT-101 BOM-BLR
15-06
Fare Fuel Charges Congestion Charge: Rs.2800
Pasenger Service Fee: Rs.229
Service Tax: Rs.155
Total Price: Rs.3184
Base Fare: Rs.700
Fuel Surcharge: Rs.2100
Congestion Fee: Rs.200
Psgr Svc. Fee: Rs.384
Service Tax: Rs.4
Total: Rs.3388
Flight Base Fare: Rs.700
Flight Taxes and Fees: Rs.2488
Total: Rs.3188
Screenshots attached: As I feel I will be asked for proof.
Anand
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