Multiple airline fees add to travel costs |
| By Dana Dratch • Bankrate.com |
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Gone are the days when airlines would ply you with hot meals and cold drinks.
Today, the price of a ticket just gets you through the plane door. Other items, from seat assignments to soft
drinks, meals and additional luggage, are often a la carte.
Basically, airlines are saying, "We just get you there, anything else is extra," says Rick Seaney, CEO of
FareCompare.com, a Web site that tracks airfare prices and trends.
One "extra" that really isn't optional for travelers: fuel. Many airlines are levying additional fees to cover
the rising cost of fuel. In some cases, those surcharges can be as much as the fare itself.
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To get your best deal, decide what's important to you for a good flight. It may be worth it to pay the tab for
some items (extra leg room anyone?).
Or you might want to slice every dollar you can to splurge at your destination. Either way,
you're choosing where to spend your money.
Here are some airline fees you might encounter, and ways to avoid them.
Fuel surcharges
Bob Whitley, president of the U.S. Tour Operators
Association, noticed that the fuel surcharges for one destination with one airline changed "three times in a 15-day period -- and
it's not going down," he says.
Last year, surcharges were running about $20 round-trip for domestic flights, says Seaney. This year, surcharges
on domestic flights are as high as $170 round-trip. Surcharges on European flights are averaging about $340, and for Asia, the
average is about $360, he says.
Avoid by: Shopping around and looking at total cost (fare plus fuel surcharge), not just fares. Surcharges vary,
even for the same destination. Some carriers may not levy surcharges either across the board or on certain routes. A higher fare
with a lower surcharge could add up to a cheaper trip.
Food and drink
With airlines, don't expect a full meal unless you're
on a trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific flight, says David Lytle, editorial director for Frommers.com.
Instead, you can purchase a la carte snacks, like a bag of nuts, candy or chips, or sometimes a boxed lunch, often
for about $3 to $10.
Alcoholic drinks are running $3 to $6, Seaney says.
Nonalcoholic drinks, like water, coffee, tea and sodas, used to be free, but that might not be the case the next time
you fly. While some airlines are still giving away coffee, tea, water and soft drinks, others are charging $1 to $3, depending on the
carrier and the beverage.
Avoid by: For a short hop, eat before you leave or plan a restaurant stop right after you land. For long hauls (or
if you have kids or medical issues), pack your own snacks. Not only will they be cheaper, but chances
are you'll come up with healthier alternatives to the standard salty, fried or sugary varieties you're likely to succumb to onboard.
With drinks, you can carry an empty bottle through security and fill it at a water fountain before you board. If that's
too much of a hassle, then paying a few bucks for the onboard drinks may be the smart choice. Here's why: Flying tends to dehydrate you. Drinks from airport concessions are likely to cost as much (or more) as the in-flight beverages.
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