[kajilau]

I just recently purchased a roundtrip ticket through Japan Airlines for myself, my wife, and our 1.5 year old daughter to fly to Japan this November to visit my in-laws.

Our ticket before the tax and fuel surcharge was $765, after surcharge it jumped up to $1120 per person. Our daughter's ticket, as she was under two and will be sitting on our laps is 10% of our ticket, so it was only $80 (our original cost was $800 but we got a discount for a group booking), but after the tax and fuel charge, it jumped up to $494. While I realize that high gas costs have forced the airlines to raise their prices, I just don't understand how and airline can justify imposing a $414 surcharge on a $80 ticket for a child that weighs less than most carry on luggage (our daughter is petite and weighs slightly under 20lbs and is doubtful she will gain more than 2 pounds by November).

Now this is not much of a complaint, but I would like to know how and why the airlines come up with such pricing as to impose a 300% markup charge on a baby's ticket. I've brought this matter up with JAL's customer service line but got no real answers or explanations (only that it's policy). Well, who makes up these "policies"? I'd really like to have a chat with that person.

Wouldn't it be nice if tax and fuel surcharges were capped at a certain percentage of the ticket price, like sales taxes in some states?