also called YQ · YQ/YR · YR · carrier-imposed surcharge
An extra fee some airlines add, historically tied to fuel costs, on top of the base fare or award.
An extra charge some airlines tack on, historically justified by fuel prices, on top of the base fare or an award booking. It can turn a flight you paid for in miles into a booking that still costs real cash. It is not the same as airport taxes, which governments and airports set; the fuel surcharge is the airline's own add-on, and it varies by which airline you book.
Someone redeems miles for a long-haul flight expecting to pay almost nothing, then sees hundreds in cash added at checkout as a fuel surcharge. Booking the identical route on a different airline in the same alliance would have dodged most of that charge.
It can make an award flight cost hundreds in cash despite using miles, so which airline you redeem with matters.
The difference is the whole point, so here is each one in a line.
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