Airline fees will play havoc with your travel budget.
The Associated Press published a report today about airline fees — hidden charges that make it more difficult for consumers to find the cheapest deal on a flight. Congressional investigators have observed that sizable airline fees on baggage and basic amenities are not part of the ticket price. As a result, consumers often don’t know about these airline fees until they show up at the airport.
Airline fees can easily go undetected until it’s too late for the traveler to shop around. Why does Congress care about these fees? Because billions of dollars’ worth of airline fees are tax-exempt and lawmakers would like to get their hands on that money.
Regardless of the government probe, sneaky airline fees hurt consumers — if you travel, you should know about them. Airlines, travel agents, online travel sites and other ticketing venues should be required to disclose airline fees for checked luggage, reservation changes and other services in a clear-cut, fair and consistent manner, according to the Government Accountability Office.
During the past three years, airlines have initiated new fees for services that used to be part of the ticket price. These unprecedented airline fees have restored airline profits in a tough economy but provoked the anger of travelers who see themselves nickeled and dimed to considerably higher costs. In addition to checked bags, some airlines charge customers for seat assignments, extra leg room, preferred status in boarding lines, blankets, pillows, beverages and meals.
It’s the position of the airlines that these fees are really for the passengers’ benefit, since they let airlines reduce ticket prices while consumers pay only for services they use. If this is the logic of their argument, how about charging airline fees for screaming babies? Or guys who lunge all the way backward in their seats, shoving a tray table into their rear neighbor’s stomach? Or gum-snapping teenagers who want to trade seats with you so they can sit next to their boyfriend/girlfriend?
All joking aside, airline fees amount to serious coin. American, Continental, Delta, United and US Airways all charge $25 for the first checked bag and $35 for the second, as reported by the online reservation site Kayak. JetBlue charges $10 plus for extra leg room. AirTran charges $6 for advance seat selection and assigns exit row seats for $20. Snacks aboard most airlines range from $2 to $5 — meals cost you a little bit more.
The Department of Transportation could call for airlines to publish two ticket prices to passengers: a “full fare” with only the mandatory charges (such as taxes) and “full fare-plus” with the extra airline fees. As of now, the airlines won’t supply the travel industry with their fee schedules. This is why consumers can’t get this information when comparing airline ticket prices online. Of course, no one wants to be the first to disclose airline fees that would put themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Therefore, until the government mandates full disclosure of airline fees, we consumers are still on our own.
Next time you book a flight, go to the airline’s official site and read the fine print. Airline fees will play havoc with your travel budget, so don’t neglect due diligence. Remember the famous Latin proverb, caveat emptor = “buyer beware”.
Recent Comments