What Is A "Fuel Dump” Airline Mistake Fare? Travel Hacking 101
Learn what this terminology means and see examples of these amazing deals
There are various types of mistake fare tricks, and one of them involves a term known as "Fuel Dump."
Despite its name, no actual fuel is wasted in this process (yes, we find it amusing too!). To keep things simple, let's start with the basics.
Flights come with several fees, but we won't delve into technicalities to avoid confusion. In the attached photo, we have highlighted a fee called Carrier Imposed Surcharge (YQ), which represents fuel charges.
Each airline and destination has its own fee structure, making it quite diverse. In the example shown here, the base fare cost = departure flight costs $165, while the return flight costs $175.
These fees, known to insiders, already cover all their costs + profit. Luggage fees and fuel surcharges = massive profits.
All the evidence you need to know they make a huge profit on just the base fee is budget airlines like RyanAir Spirit, Frontier etc.
RyanAir has $30 flights from country to country all over Europe and the same for the two US carriers. Their employees make the same and they all pay the same for fuel lol. I assure you the free snacks on premium carriers don't make up for the huge cost disparity.
Back to what we were explaining.
Now, let's talk about the "Dumping The Fuel" or "Fuel Dump" hack that has caused confusion.
Essentially, this technique involves forcing the absurd fuel charges of a long flight, to be that of a very short flight.
But how is it done? Well, these fare deals are not easy to find because they are not the result of the airline's mistake but rather a forced mistake fare, if you will.
When you book a flight, you may not pay close attention to the fee breakdown since airlines typically display the total cost upfront. This is what most people see when searching for flights, and when it matches at the checkout, that's all they care about.
However, due to outdated systems that airlines still use, they often inflate the fuel charges instead of adjusting the base price to make their profits.
Interestingly, this glitch can only affect the fuel surcharges and not other fees due to every carrier and country + distance having their own fuel cost surcharges.
So, how does it work? To create a fuel dump mistake fare, you need a few key ingredients:
A really low base price.
Absurdly high fuel charges.
A third flight that you don't intend to take (refer to the attached photo).
The regular round-trip flight from Montreal to Tel Aviv costs $1635 CAD or $1237 USD on its own. Now, stay with us. The base fare for this flight is $170 each way, for the Montreal to Tel Aviv flights for $340 CAD total. The remaining amount consisted of "Fuel Surcharges, Gov Taxes & Fees," with $1326 CAD alone attributed to fuel charges.
By adding a third flight from an unrelated flight a month later on the same booking from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Wellington, New Zealand, on a different airline for only $39, and scheduling it a month later, a system glitch occurred. This glitch forced the first two legs of the trip to recalculate their fuel surcharge, matching that of a short 55-minute domestic flight in New Zealand.
These are hard to find, as when airlines discover the glitch they patch it. For this reason, we are going to remove Fuel Dump Terminology, and if you see a 3rd unrelated flight on an alert we will just say "Skip It"
Another Recent Example now that you know the game.
Washington DC to Dubai and Back! And because you are not in Malawi Africa, where the random 3rd leg and 40-minute flight is located, you just skip it.
Never contact the airline and inquire about any issues with your flight. Instead, proceed with your plans and enjoy your vacation. If you get a confirmation number or record location and don't get a call within 48 hours from the airline, you're good to go. If you do, you can cancel at no penalty or pay the difference if you wish.
You can't swim to New Zealand or Africa so "Skip It". You made a mistake when you booked, that is all ;)
Just wanted to clarify what to do with the 3rd flight.
THE ANSWER IS NOTHING :) SKIP IT!
Happy Travel Hacking,
Jetsetter Alerts
Note: These deals are no longer active
Want to get personalized alerts like these, they can be yours for the cost of a Starbucks coffee, or you can get free personalized alerts as well. These fares are reserved for premium members. Learn More & Sign Up