Carrier surcharge (YQ/YR)

The airline-imposed fee, filed under tax-like codes YQ or YR, that sits between base fare and government taxes on a ticket. Born as a fuel surcharge, it long ago detached from fuel prices and became a pricing lever. Why buyers should care: surcharges can run into four figures on premium long-haul, they are part of any honest total, and they vary sharply by carrier on the same route. Our quotes state the all-in figure, never a base fare with the surcharge in the small print.