Surcharges explained

Surcharges
Have you ever wondered how the total price of your ticket is made up?  For many among you as passengers it is perhaps unclear what is added up to the applicable airfare and exactly what type of surcharges are applied. Below you will find a clarification of the various taxes and surcharges.

 

Fuel Surcharge
The price of kerosene is currently still high and subject to major fluctuations. This situation has forced SLM to levy a fuel surcharge on all its flight tickets, which depends on price developments in the oil market. The surcharge is calculated per flight, so it is charged on both the outbound and return trips as well as any intermediate flights.

Security surcharge
The security surcharge amount is levied for insurance and security measures which is separately indicated in the ticket. Insurance premiums have risen considerably in conjunction with the increased risk of terrorist attacks. In addition, structural security measures are still being implemented in various processes onboard as well as at airports.

Airport Tax
All airports charge airport taxes for your use as passenger of the available facilities. The applicable type of taxes and amount vary per destination and the collection of most of the taxes is required at the time of ticket sale / issuance. Taxes are detailed separately and included in the total price of your ticket.
A limited number of airports still charges local airport taxes which have to be paid separately at the airport before your departure.

Goods and Services tax.
In some countries such as Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago etc. the governments impose tax on goods and services. Air transportation is also determined as services and therefore tax is levied on international travel originating from the country concerned. The tax amount is based on the applicable airfare and the fuel surcharge.   
   
Reservation fees
A reserveation fee is charged for SLM ticket for example in the Netherlands. The level of the fee depends on the reservation method. The cheapest option is to make your reservation via our website where the fee is EUR 10,00 per ticket. When you make a reservation and purchase your ticket at a SLM sales offices the reservations fee is EUR 25,00 per ticket. So you can save by making your reservation at our website.

Credit card surcharge to compensate for rising costs
More and more air travelers are using a credit card to pay for their tickets. This increasing volume of credit card usage has resulted in rising of costs for SLM too. To off-set these costs, we are forced to charge a surcharge of EUR 7,00 or USD 10.00 per ticket. The surcharge applies to all credit cards.