The cost of air travel around Europe has plummeted so dramatically over the last several years that sometimes checking the small print on a plane ticket seems scarcely worth the trouble. Nowadays the amount due to the airline under the catch-all heading 'taxes, fees and charges' (TFC) is often higher than the basic fare. Many passengers erroneously assume that everything that features under this heading is somehow levied by a third party. Yet, even for flying the same route on the same day, the amount levied by two competing airlines under the TFC banner may vary enormously.