Starting today parents flying from the mainland airports are not
required to pay the fuel surcharge for children under?two and
will get a half discount for those between 2 and 12, the official
website of industry watchdog published yesterday.
The policy was drawn up by the National Development and Reform
Commission (NDRC) and the Civil Aviation Administration of China
(CAAC) following customer dissatisfaction with a new jet fuel
surcharge policy which came into effect on April 10.
According to the supplementary circular infants are now exempt
from the fuel surcharge which normally accounts for 10 percent of
the cost of an air ticket.?
Tickets for children purchased at half price will cost 20 yuan
more if the traveling distance is less than 800 kilometers and 30
yuan if the flight is more than 800 kilometers.
Before the surcharge for infants and children was the same as
adults and many passengers expressed their discontent at this
through ticket agencies. However, some domestic airlines including
Shanghai Airlines and China Eastern, don't surcharge accompanied
infants, according to local media reports.
Passengers on domestic flights in China started to pay fuel
surcharges last August. This was designed to help airlines cope
with soaring fuel prices. The oil price continued to rise and the
air ?industry extended the policy last November. ?
On April 10, the CAAC and the NDRC jointly issued a notice
raising the level of fuel surcharges from the original 20 to 30
yuan on flights of less than 800 kilometers and from 40 to 60 yuan
on routes over 800 kilometers.
(China.org.cn, Shenzhen Daily April 20, 2006)