Air
France-KLM announced it will impose a surcharge on credit card payments made by
German travel agents from Jan. 12, 2012 [see correction below], and significantly increase its level
of surcharging in the Netherlands, according to The Beat.
Credit
card bookings by German agents would incur a €7.50 surcharge for short-haul and
medium-haul flights and €15 for long-haul flights. The move follows the Lufthansa Group's recent introduction of card surcharges in Germany.
In
the Netherlands, Air France-KLM, as well as SkyTeam partners Alitalia and Delta
Air Lines, on Dec. 1 will double to €15 card surcharges for long-haul flights.
Short- and medium-haul bookings will continue to incur a €7.50 surcharge.
previously applied only to heavily restricted fares, the surcharges will be
extended to all fare types.
"The
original level of surcharge was not enough to cover our costs," said a KLM
spokeswoman.
Air
France-KLM also surcharges for bookings through direct channels in several
other European countries, including the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark,
Finland and Switzerland. The KLM spokeswoman confirmed the airline is
considering whether to extend surcharging to agent channels in some of those
markets.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this report included an incorrect date.