knotty
04-27-2011, 12:08 PM
With heavy travel season right around the corner, lookout for all the hidden fees
Chances are if you're booking a trip by plane - whether it's a summer vacation or beyond - you're doing it online.
Some 80% of Americans use the Web to book travel. Unfortunately, comparison shopping online has gotten harder, not easier. That's because airlines have started tacking on extra fees, above and beyond the cost of your ticket.
Want to check a bag, board early or sit in an exit row? It'll cost you. In fact, U.S. (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/United+States) airlines collected more than $9.2 billion in ancillary fees like these in 2010, according to Consumer Travel Alliance (CTA), a nonprofit consumers' rights group.
And because these charges often show up at the gate - after you've purchased your ticket - it can be hard to get a grip on what you're actually paying. CTA director Charlie Leocha (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Charlie+Leocha) says he's working to make full pricing information available wherever tickets are sold - including sites like Orbitz (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Orbitz+Worldwide+Inc.) and Expedia (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Expedia+Inc.) - as part of the FAA (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Federal+Aviation+Administration) reauthorization bill that's moving through Congress now.
With heavy travel season right around the corner, here's a rundown of what fees you need to look out for - and where you can save:
Baggage fees
By now you know that if you want to check a bag, it's going to cost between $20 and $30. JetBlue (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/JetBlue+Airways+Corporation) and Southwest are the two exceptions: JetBlue takes your first bag free and charges $30 for the second. Your first two bags on Southwest are free, the third is $50.
Clearly, traveling light and cramming everything into a carry-on is the way to go. But if you can't, it may be cheaper to purchase a slightly more expensive ticket on JetBlue or Southwest and avoid the extra baggage charge.
Be wary of really cheap fares
George Hobica (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/George+Hobica), founder of airfarewatchdog.com, points to the example of Spirit Airlines (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Spirit+Airlines+Inc.), which regularly advertises huge discounts - flights as low as $9 - but is the only carrier that charges for carry-on luggage (between $20 and $45). It also recently dropped the checked bag weight limit to 40 pounds instead of the industry-standard 50.
Bags over that limit will cost between $25 and $100, depending on weight.
"Very few people go over 50 pounds, but quite a few go over 40, so this is significant," says Hobica.
Book online, call to confirm
If you book a flight by phone, you'll pay upwards of $15 and often as much as $25 (Southwest charges nothing). This fee is easily avoided by booking online, but it's hard to sort through all the fees and compare costs.
If you want to nail down what your final charge will be, call the airlines directly. The customer-service rep will disclose any fees you ask about, so you can add them to the ticket price you found online and compare flights based on your estimated total. (SmarterTravel.com (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/SmarterTravel.com) also has a list of fees it updates regularly.)
Skip expensive perks
Airlines are rolling out packages of extras - for an extra charge, of course. United, for example, has Premier Line, which allows access to a special check-in line, priority security line and priority boarding, starting at $9 per passenger. American's package starts at $9 and includes same-day standby and a flight change discount of $75.
And you can pay for a better seat in coach. But with a family, these packages can add up fast, and they're often not worth the cost. Sure, boarding a little early is nice, but I'd rather put the money toward a nice dinner.
Don't wait for a deal
Because of rising gas prices, bargains aren't likely, says Anne Banas (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Anne+Banas), executive editor of SmarterTravel.com. The government projects prices will jump 40% over last summer, and air fares are sure to follow - as will fuel surcharges that are built into the ticket price.
"Your best bet is booking now rather than in June or July," says Banas.
New rules are coming
The Department of Transportation (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/U.S.+Department+of+Transportation) recently set some new ground rules for airlines that take effect in August. The basics: Airlines will have to clearly disclose fees like baggage charges in ads and on websites, and will be required to have a bag charge refund policy.
So if you paid to check your bag and it's lost or delayed, you'll have some kind of retribution.
"They don't specify what form it will be in - it could be an airline voucher to use toward a future flight - but it's something to be aware of," says Banas.
They'll also be required to include all government taxes and fees in advertised prices, which will give a better idea of the total hit to the wallet. A step in the right direction, for sure.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2011/04/27/2011-04-27_its_a_feeforall_at_gate.html#ixzz1Kjy2LtHA
Chances are if you're booking a trip by plane - whether it's a summer vacation or beyond - you're doing it online.
Some 80% of Americans use the Web to book travel. Unfortunately, comparison shopping online has gotten harder, not easier. That's because airlines have started tacking on extra fees, above and beyond the cost of your ticket.
Want to check a bag, board early or sit in an exit row? It'll cost you. In fact, U.S. (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/United+States) airlines collected more than $9.2 billion in ancillary fees like these in 2010, according to Consumer Travel Alliance (CTA), a nonprofit consumers' rights group.
And because these charges often show up at the gate - after you've purchased your ticket - it can be hard to get a grip on what you're actually paying. CTA director Charlie Leocha (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Charlie+Leocha) says he's working to make full pricing information available wherever tickets are sold - including sites like Orbitz (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Orbitz+Worldwide+Inc.) and Expedia (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Expedia+Inc.) - as part of the FAA (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Federal+Aviation+Administration) reauthorization bill that's moving through Congress now.
With heavy travel season right around the corner, here's a rundown of what fees you need to look out for - and where you can save:
Baggage fees
By now you know that if you want to check a bag, it's going to cost between $20 and $30. JetBlue (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/JetBlue+Airways+Corporation) and Southwest are the two exceptions: JetBlue takes your first bag free and charges $30 for the second. Your first two bags on Southwest are free, the third is $50.
Clearly, traveling light and cramming everything into a carry-on is the way to go. But if you can't, it may be cheaper to purchase a slightly more expensive ticket on JetBlue or Southwest and avoid the extra baggage charge.
Be wary of really cheap fares
George Hobica (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/George+Hobica), founder of airfarewatchdog.com, points to the example of Spirit Airlines (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Spirit+Airlines+Inc.), which regularly advertises huge discounts - flights as low as $9 - but is the only carrier that charges for carry-on luggage (between $20 and $45). It also recently dropped the checked bag weight limit to 40 pounds instead of the industry-standard 50.
Bags over that limit will cost between $25 and $100, depending on weight.
"Very few people go over 50 pounds, but quite a few go over 40, so this is significant," says Hobica.
Book online, call to confirm
If you book a flight by phone, you'll pay upwards of $15 and often as much as $25 (Southwest charges nothing). This fee is easily avoided by booking online, but it's hard to sort through all the fees and compare costs.
If you want to nail down what your final charge will be, call the airlines directly. The customer-service rep will disclose any fees you ask about, so you can add them to the ticket price you found online and compare flights based on your estimated total. (SmarterTravel.com (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/SmarterTravel.com) also has a list of fees it updates regularly.)
Skip expensive perks
Airlines are rolling out packages of extras - for an extra charge, of course. United, for example, has Premier Line, which allows access to a special check-in line, priority security line and priority boarding, starting at $9 per passenger. American's package starts at $9 and includes same-day standby and a flight change discount of $75.
And you can pay for a better seat in coach. But with a family, these packages can add up fast, and they're often not worth the cost. Sure, boarding a little early is nice, but I'd rather put the money toward a nice dinner.
Don't wait for a deal
Because of rising gas prices, bargains aren't likely, says Anne Banas (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Anne+Banas), executive editor of SmarterTravel.com. The government projects prices will jump 40% over last summer, and air fares are sure to follow - as will fuel surcharges that are built into the ticket price.
"Your best bet is booking now rather than in June or July," says Banas.
New rules are coming
The Department of Transportation (http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/U.S.+Department+of+Transportation) recently set some new ground rules for airlines that take effect in August. The basics: Airlines will have to clearly disclose fees like baggage charges in ads and on websites, and will be required to have a bag charge refund policy.
So if you paid to check your bag and it's lost or delayed, you'll have some kind of retribution.
"They don't specify what form it will be in - it could be an airline voucher to use toward a future flight - but it's something to be aware of," says Banas.
They'll also be required to include all government taxes and fees in advertised prices, which will give a better idea of the total hit to the wallet. A step in the right direction, for sure.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2011/04/27/2011-04-27_its_a_feeforall_at_gate.html#ixzz1Kjy2LtHA