Fed up with planes, trains and automobiles.

Just need to vent so please hear me out! Traveling is really starting to tick me off...

I was looking into possibly visiting a friend in Montreal. I have driven, flown and taken the train to Montreal and while the train takes its sweet old time its actually quite a nice alternative (especially if you can do first class). Problem is its the same price as flying yet takes about 5 hours longer. I have taken the bus too - which I have done before too and don't recommend, like, ever. But if Via could price themselves somewhere between a flight and a bus I would seriously consider it. Enough said on that one.

Now my wife really (I stress REALLY) wants to go to Paris for her upcoming 40th birthday in April. Looking into it she said she found a great "deal" for seats on Air Canada and they were "only" $878. Only huh? I thought that sounded pricey. I said I thought when I walk in the mall you see those fly to Paris or London for $199 (one way). So, we break it down and sure enough it is $199 going and $219 returning. Great I said! That is under $500. Then the taxes etc of course. But no wait, there is this little thing called a fuel surcharge. You know how much? $250!!! How did they get to that number I asked. Seems like a nice round figure to just plunk down. No, $238.97??? There must be a calculation no? And yesterday gas at the pump was only 65 cents. Does the airline fluctuate their surcharge as the gas station does on a daily basis? Given the quite precise $250 figure I doubt it. Am I paying for increases that happened a year ago? Perhaps...

But in the end aren't I buying my way to get to Paris? What did the $419 get me? To me its the equivalent of going to the movie theatre, paying my $10 or whatever it is but then they say ohhhh there is a facility improvement fee ($1), a "digital processing fee" ($1) and "in seat cup accessory" fee (25 cents). No, its just $10 and all that "stuff" is for them to worry about. That is how business is done. Me, the customer doesnt want to know that the supplier from Japan doubled your fee on those in seat cup holders and now I have to pay an additional fee. Same for the plane. Its your business, you run it as you see fit, you need to make a profit, I get that. But slapping that additional fuel surcharge is totaly bogus.

And don't get me started on having to pay for my seat selection!