Taiwan's three major international carriers raise booking fees

Taipei, March 14 (CNA) Taiwan's three major international carriers are raising booking fees, with EVA Airways (EVA Air) having already increased the charge from US$25 to US$28 per flight segment, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit.

Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that currently apply these fees include CAL, EVA Air, Starlux Airlines and Tigerair Taiwan.

A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major GDSs include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport.

According to EVA Air, the carrier began implementing its increase on March 1, while China Airlines will raise the cost by the same amount on March 17. Meanwhile, Starlux Airlines plans to increase its booking fee by US$5 to US$30 starting April 1.

However, Tigerair Taiwan's booking fees remain unchanged, at NT$400 (US$12.44) per passenger per flight segment for peak-season flights and NT$300 for off-peak flights.

The three major airlines did not explain the reason for raising the booking fees.