Wednesday, March 26, 2008

BC Ferries set to increase the cost of sailing the coastal waters on April 1st.


The date as we all know comes with the baggage of pranks and tricks on unsuspecting victims through the ages.

BC Ferries adds to the list of gotcha’s on April 1st when they implement ferry rate increases throughout their system with the exception of the Northern routes which have already had their price increases put in place for the year.

For those traveling in the south, the time to dig a little deeper comes up next week. The Daily News had the details in Wednesday’s paper.

Price of many ferry fares floating up
The Daily News
Monday, March 24, 2008
Page three

It's no April Fool's joke - it will cost more to travel with B.C. Ferries starting on April 1.
Fare increases, averaging 7.3 per cent on the major routes and four per cent on the minor routes, come into effect on April 1, with rates for prepaid discounts on minor routes also increasing on that day.

However, fares on the Northern Routes, excluding Skidegate-Alliford Bay, have already been set through Sept. 30, 2008, in recognition of the extra planning requirements of northern tour operators. And of April 16, customers with prepaid paper tickets that are either not stamped with a price or stamped with a price that is below the current fare will be required to pay any price difference at the ticket booth.

The company said fare increases are necessary to cover costs associated with rising fuel prices and to pay for operational and capital expenditures. Should world oil prices remain at current historically high levels, customers can also expect that an additional fuel surcharge will be automatically implemented in the fall of 2008.

Meanwhile, B. C. Ferries has also announced that travelers on some B. C. Ferries routes, including Skidegate-Alliford Bay, will soon be able to use an electronic payment card.

Similar to a gift card or debit card, the wallet-sized card, called the B. C. Ferries Experience Card, will offer customers a variety of benefits, including greater flexibility, protection and value for their money.

Customers simply load the card with a dollar value and it can then be used for the cost of ferry travel on 10 of the company’s minor routes. It will also give travelers access to reduced fares where applicable. For information about the card and its features, visit www.bcferries.com or call 1-888-223-3779.

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