Latest news with #travelfees
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ottawa cuts Confederation Bridge tolls, ferry fares in Atlantic Canada
ALBANY, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND — Tolls on the Confederation Bridge linking Prince Edward Island to Canada's mainland will drop sharply starting Aug. 1, along with several other Atlantic travel fees, the prime minister said Monday. Fulfilling a promise the Liberals made during the April election campaign, Mark Carney said the toll for an average vehicle will drop to $20 from $50.25 to cross the bridge. "We're doing this to bring … Canadians closer together," Carney told reporters. He made the announcement in Albany, P.E.I., with a view of the curved, 12.9- kilometre structure stretching off into the distance behind him. About one million vehicles a year drive over the crossing, which opened in 1997, connecting the Island to New Brunswick. A lease agreement with the bridge operator extends to 2032. The government is also cutting fares in half for passengers, vehicles and commercial traffic on federally supported Eastern Canada ferry services. Carney says the fee reductions are meant to boost interprovincial mobility — part of the government's plan to reduce internal trade barriers in response to the U.S. trade war. He noted the cumulative annual cost of the various reductions in fares and tolls to the public treasury will be about $100 million, but predicted the changes would generate increased traffic and lower the cost of living. Marine Atlantic, a constitutionally mandated ferry service connecting Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, will reduce traveller fares by 50 per cent and freeze commercial freight rates. The Marine Atlantic service is responsible for carrying 65 per cent of the goods that travel to and from Newfoundland. Carney said the Eastern Ferry services and Marine Atlantic carry an average of 2,500 people and 1,200 vehicles daily. "If we're going to build a stronger, more united economy … we're going to need to make it more affordable to travel around this country, for people and for businesses and that's what we're doing today," he said. Carney said the reduction to the Marine Atlantic fares for the crossings to Newfoundland and Labrador are expected to bring $28 million into that province's economy and boost out-of-province tourism. The ferry service carries medical supplies, fresh fruit and home heating fuel to the island, and the lower transport costs are expected to help reduce prices. The prime minister acknowledged during the announcement that Canadians are anxious about trade talks with U.S. president Donald Trump's administration. 'Canadians … don't deserve the uncertainty thrust among them,' he said. However, he said that while his officials are engaged in the "intense phase' of talks, his government remains focused on reducing internal trade barriers and improving national infrastructure. 'What we're doing is building our country, bringing it closer together. This is one tangible example,' he said. The visit to P.E.I. came after Carney took a tour of some of the oldest Acadian houses in New Brunswick Sunday afternoon. The prime minister visited a historic village in Bertrand, N.B., to highlight Acadian culture ahead of the Fête nationale de l'Acadie on Aug. 15. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025. — With files from Michael Tutton in Halifax and Hina Alam in Bertrand, N.B. Keith Doucette, The Canadian Press Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
How to avoid a payment fees sting while on holiday
The summer holidays are fast approaching and millions of Britons will be jetting off into the sun. But many will unwittingly lose hundreds of pounds to overseas charges by making costly payment mistakes even if they think they are prepared. Some providers and retailers can add up to £5 extra per transaction abroad. British travellers lost around £2.5million in foreign exchange fees last year in this way, research shows. Whether you opt to use your debit card for holidays this summer or want to take out cash, we reveal what you need to know to not get stung on fees when making payments abroad this summer debit card might NOT offer the best rate More banks now offer fee-free spending abroad as a perk. Standard debit and credit cards often levy 'non-sterling transaction fees' on transactions in foreign currencies, normally in the region of 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent of the purchase amount. First Direct, Monzo, Starling, Chase and even high street giants Lloyds and Nationwide count themselves among the banks which allow customers to spend abroad as they would at home with their debit cards But even customers using a fee-free debit card could find they pay less by using a specialist travel debit card like Currensea, Wise or Revolut. These cards remove bank fees and can be more than 0.5 per cent cheaper than fee-free cards and over 3 per cent cheaper than high street banks' debit cards. Jamie Melzack, 47 from North London used a Currensea travel debit card to pay for hotels, shopping and food and drink while on trips in America, Abu Dhabi and Spain. He found he saved £400 by using a Currensea travel debit card rather than his NatWest high street debit card. He said: 'I could see my total savings in the app and saw I saved £400 on trips using the Currensea card instead of my bank card.' Typical fee-free accounts, for example from Monzo, Starling, and Chase, rely on fixed card scheme rates that are set once a day. However, the real FX market changes throughout that day. The card scheme rates therefore need to be set with substantial margin to protect against adverse market movement - meaning consumers may not always get the best rate. 2. Avoid prepaid cards Prepaid travel cards are chip and pin cards, much like a debit card, you load up with foreign currency before you go on holiday, thereby locking in a set exchange rate. They are offered by firms including the Post Office, Sainsbury's, Travelex and Mastercard. They have their benefits, allowing you to budget on holiday more effectively, as well as locking in one foreign exchange rate when you load the card, instead of a different rate every time you spend. But here's the snag, if you don't spend all the money on the card you will be faced with costly fees to withdraw the remaining cash. And many will simply forget about the leftover funds on their card after they return home. For this reason, the average traveller using a prepaid card returns from trips with £89 left while close to half of those with school-age kids return with more than £100, with the average at £109 left on prepaid cards. 3. Always pay in the local currency Never pay in pounds sterling if the option is offered when overseas. Whether paying the bill at a restaurant or buying something in the shops, you should always pay in the local currency. Andrew Hagger, of personal finance website MoneyComms, explains: 'If you pay in GBP this allows the overseas retailer or ATM to use an inferior local exchange rate which can prove way more expensive than the normal Visa or MasterCard exchange rates – this is known as Dynamic Currency Conversion.' 4. Don't withdraw small amounts of cash If your provider does charge fees when using your card abroad, making multiple, smaller purchases or withdrawals over the trip can really add up. Therefore you might be better off withdrawing a larger amount of money once at the start of the trip, and setting a daily budget. More than half of travellers say they don't know how much they're charged when withdrawing cash abroad, with some providers adding up to £5 per transaction. If you withdraw the cash in one go, you won't be hit with as many fees if your card provider does charge fees. The airport has some of the most expensive rates for exchanging money 5. Dodge the airport for exchanging money Exchanging money at the airport is one of the most expensive ways to get foreign currency. Probably the biggest mistakes you can make when buying foreign currency is to do so at the airport bureau de change, where currency rates are normally extremely poor. Yet 27 per cent of travellers still exchange the bulk of their cash at the airport despite getting the worst rates and facing high fees. Andrew Hagger says: 'Never buy or sell your currency at the airport. You'll lose around an extra £10 for every £100 you spend – just don't do it unless it's an absolute emergency.' Laith Khalaf, of AJ Bell says: 'Effectively buying money at the airport is a hefty tax on your holiday for not planning ahead. 'The same principle applies to getting travel money from the post office, which is another popular choice. 'Individual post offices will usually have their own currency rates but if you order online beforehand, you'll almost certainly get a better deal.'
The Sun
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Blow to Brits as tourist visa for US holidays to cost MUCH more
A TRIP to the USA is set to get more expensive for Brits. Thanks to a new bill being passed, the price of an ESTA is set to double from $21 (£15.38) to $40 (£29.30). 4 4 Before entering the US, Brits are required to apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The fee is currently $21 (£15.38) to apply for an ESTA - a price which was introduced in May 2022. Prior to this date, the fee was $14 (£10.25) and will now rise to $40 (£29.30) although an official start date is yet to be confirmed. The rise in fees is part of US President Donald Trump 's "One Big Beautiful Bill". The current rules require every visitor from the UK to apply for an ESTA to be allowed access into the United States. An ESTA is generally valid for two years from the date of approval, or until the passport used for the application expires, whichever comes first. If your passport expires before the two-year period, your ESTA will be valid only until the passport's expiration date. You'll need to apply for a new ESTA if you get a new passport or if your current ESTA expires. US Travel's President and CEO Geoff Freeman fears the increased fees will "do nothing to improve the travel experience and only discourage visitation.' I travelled to America to try the viral TikTok shop Crumbl 4 America isn't the only place increasing fees for a visa. The EU is gearing up to introduce the new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) scheme next year. This swiftly follows the introduction of the new Entry/Exit system. ETIAS will be a requirement for any non-EU national from a visa-exempt countries, including the UK, for short-term stays in the Schengen Area. And the online fee to enter the ETIAS scheme could be more than initially planned. Current plans for travellers heading from outside the bloc include them paying €7 (£6.04) as part of an online application. However, now the European Union is looking to raise that price, even though the scheme hasn't launched yet. For anyone heading to America, here are the latest travel tips. And here are 12 bizarre things one Sun Travel Writer discovered when she lived in the US for 3 months. 4
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. airlines made over $7.2 billion in checked bag fees in 2024
Checked bags are a big business for U.S. airlines, bringing in more than $7 billion in revenue last year, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The fees have brought more revenue to the airlines than it ever had prior to the pandemic, the data shows. Airlines began shifting their checked bag policy in recent years to keep up with what they say are rising operational costs, including higher prices for fuel and increased wages. Most recently, Southwest Airlines announced it will start charging $35 for the first checked bag — after more than 50 years of only charging for a third bag. Changes at Southwest came amid mounting pressure from activist investors to improve its financial performance. The airline in September predicted that new fees would lead to $1.5 billion a year in revenue. Last year, JetBlue brought Uber-style surge pricing to bag-check fees, making it more costly to check luggage during peak travel periods. American Airlines also increased its fees in 2024 from $30 to $35 for the first checked bag. Breaking down the revenue from checked bags for U.S. airlines Checked bags brought in about $7.27 billion in revenue last year for Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American, Breeze Airways, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, Silver Airways, Southwest, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country and United Airlines, according to the government's data that was last updated on May 6. That is up from $7.07 billion in 2023, Bureau of Transportation Statistics' data shows. In 2022, U.S. airlines made over $6.7 billion in bag fees, another major jump from the $5.3 billion made in 2021. American, Delta and United — the three largest U.S. airlines — made over $1 billion each last year on checked bags — and their revenue from it has been climbing since the COVID-19 pandemic halted air travel in 2020. When the pandemic hit, total checked bag revenue plummeted to $2.84 billion in 2020, down from $5.76 billion in 2019. The wonderfully weird world of artist Luigi Serafini Fans turn out for estate sale at home of Tom Petty Dozens killed in attack near Gaza aid delivery point, witnesses blame IDF, Israel denies involvement 擷取數據時發生錯誤 登入存取你的投資組合 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤
