What is going on: A "September 11 Security Fee" ...
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What is going on: A "September 11 Security Fee" ...
Submitted by Khalid on Wed, 2007/02/14 - 00:13I never bothered to look at the details of an airline ticket before.
Today, I was booking a flight, and found the following breakdown of taxes, fees and charges.
Taxes, Fees and Charges
Canada Airport Improvement Fee 20.00
U.S.A Transportation Tax 35.80
U.S Agriculture Fee 5.93
Canada Security Charge 7.94
U.S Passenger Facility Charge 5.33
Canada Goods and Services Tax 20.58
September 11 Security Fee 2.96
U.S.A Immigration User Fee 8.30
Well, the Canada airport improvement fee is a bit high, but the US "transportation tax" is considerably higher.
The dreaded GST that all Canadians loved to hate is there on the high side too.
Among the other nonsensical fees is the "US agriculture fee".
However, the cake goes to the "September 11 Security Fee". Although this is the least from an absolute dollar figure value, it is just mind boggling. Does this fee ensures that we never get a September 11 again? Is it a fee imposed after September 11? For what?
Well, the answer is from the Department of Transportation web site. It is a fee that will be used "to implement new aviation security measures". Also it "will help pay for passenger and baggage screeners, security managers and law enforcement personnel at airports, as well as other aviation security efforts, such as the purchase of explosive detection systems". This added up to $900 million in fiscal year 2002.
Why name it September 11 at all? Why not name it "additional security measures", or "project More Security"?
The answer at least partially is that no one in their right mind would disagree with anything dubbed "September 11". It is only patriotic to support such initiatives, isn't it?
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What I find more mind
What I find more mind boggling is that the Canada Security Charge is more than the September 11 Fee.
The September 11 Security Fee?
I was just booking a flight to the states when i saw there was a $2.50 September 11th Securtity Fee. I actually had no idea what it was and your little post here explained it to me so thankyou. I actually cannot believe they called it that and you've hit the nail on the head. I'm from england where patriotism is still rampant and thats great, but no one does patriotism like americans. I'm not yank-bashing here, but you always know when there's an american living in Britain because theres a massive american flag out the front. I think thats great to be proud of your nationality even to the expense of the aesthetic quality of your house, but for their government to foster this sense of national injury only to use it to their benefit for things like this fee sucks balls. I reckon the fear-mongering of the press is enough for them to pay it without upset even it was just called the "additional security fee". I refuse to believe americans are so stupid they don't appreciate what security means on air travel without having September 11th rubbed in their faces at every opportunity.
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