Fly High with Electron

One of the things that really annoys me is the airlines adding any charge at all to use debit and credit cards but now it seems they're really taking the biscuit.

For a single transaction, they are now coming up with ever higher figures and some are charging for each person booked and even for each leg of the journey.

All businesses that take credit and debit cards must pay commission or fees on all the payments they take but over the years they have become more and more reasonable as competition is fierce to become your 'Third Party,' and as a business, The Welbeck Hotel Ltd. pays from 1.15% for personal visa/mastercard, less than 2% for all business versions of the same and 3% to American Express. Debit cards are a flat fee of about 15p per transaction. There is an insignificant amount invoiced to us for the rent of our EPOS machine.

Therefore, you can imagine how low major companies like the airlines must pay with their volume of sales power.

Many of you have probably already signed the 'Online Which Petition' against unfair fees but if you haven't, here's a link to join it:

http://www.which.co.uk/campaigns/personal-finance/card-surcharges/pledge-your-support/

However, last night, while watching the new Phil & Kirsty series, 'Vacation, Vacation, Vacation,' they mentioned that each airline must provide a method of payment without any added charge.

Visa Electron was mentioned as the card which is the free way of paying ,'Flybe' the airline which visits the Isle of Man through most routes. Of course while being stupid enough not to see how short sighted it is to have all these hidden payments is making the consumer feel cheated, they are not stupid enough not to ensure their preferred card be one of the most difficult to obtain.

This is especially so on the Island but eventually after ringing round half the banks in Douglas, I was told that it is possible to get hold of one by opening an account at Barclays Wealth. It does require you to have money in the bank to make purchases with one, so it is more like a debit card rather than credit but in these days of internet transfer, you surely don't need to keep too much of your hard earned inactive in there for too long.