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Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,453
Registered: ‎02-02-2015

Those pesky airline fees and how to avoid them

[ Edited ]

What’s a blanket on a cold airplane worth?

 

An article by Justin Sablich of The New York Times (March 27, 2017) had some interesting information to pass on. Cartoon courtesy of Andy Rash.

 

Pesky Airline Fees.jpg

 

Not $12, at least not for one passenger on a recent Hawaiian Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Hawaii. A 66-year-old man was charged $12 for the blanket, but not with anything else, despite causing the flight to be diverted to Los Angeles.

According to news reports, the passenger was deemed “unruly” by airport police after saying he “would like to take someone behind the woodshed for this,” and was removed from the flight.

“Diverting a fight is clearly not our first choice, but our crew felt it was necessary to divert to Los Angeles and deplane the passenger before beginning to fly over the Pacific Ocean,” the airline said in a statement.

George Hobica, the founder of Airfarewatchdog.com said: “I think Hawaiian should have just given him the blanket for free. Doing that emergency landing cost Hawaiian thousands of dollars. This fee seems more silly than exorbitant.”

As most passengers can’t help but notice, add-on fees are becoming more and more prevalent. Mr. Hobica said the fee that makes most passengers angry is the one for changing flights, which costs an average of $200 on domestic flights. But that does not mean the smaller fees aren’t aggravating.

A recent study by the farecasting app Hopper showed that airlines are increasingly “unbundling” their flights, offering lower base prices for travelers to get on the plane and making them pay à la carte for almost everything else, from seat assignments to baggage and in-flight supplements like food, entertainment and, apparently, blankets.

 

These secondary fees now represent roughly 10 percent of total airline revenues, according to Hopper.

The problem is that the fees vary greatly from airline to airline and class to class, which means comparing base ticket prices has become almost meaningless.


“From the consumer’s perspective, this results in increased confusion, and makes it frustratingly difficult to comparison shop or to understand the full cost of travel,” said Patrick Surry, Hopper’s chief data scientist.


For example, Spirit offers the lowest base ticket prices of the eight airlines studied by Hopper, with a median fare of $356, but charges the most for baggage ($50 for the first bag, $111 for the second) and for changing flights ($250). Throw in a $35 carry-on fee and, if you’re a traveler with two checked bags who has changed your flight, you could be paying more than twice the cost of your base fare.


Hopper’s recently released Fair Bear feature aims to help by breaking down the restrictions or fees associated with your flight, Mr. Surry said.


But there’s more you can do to keep your flight costs closer to what you thought you were paying in the first place. Here’s what you need to know about the most common and costly fees.

Change Fees
The change fee is not only the most costly but also the most difficult to avoid. And don’t even think about canceling.

The Hopper study (which excludes data from Southwest and Delta) found that a nonrefundable, domestic reservation in the main cabin is usually changeable, for a price. For example, United charges an average of $200 to change a domestic flight, while Virgin America’s fee is $125, which is the lowest of the airlines studied. The fee varies among the budget airlines as well, with Frontier charging $198 and Spirit $250.

“The higher the change fee on a nonrefundable airfare, the greater the incentive for some travelers to simply buy a more expensive refundable airfare,” Mr. Hobica said.
If you’re prone to changing plans, try to book with Southwest, which is the only major domestic airline that does not charge for canceling or changing your flight. Alaska Airlines will also let it slide if you do so within 60 days (otherwise it’s $125).

Do not expect to see these fees get cheaper or go away anytime soon, unless airlines take away the option of changing a flight altogether.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see change fees go to $250, or for changes and cancellations to be eliminated entirely, as the airlines have done with their ‘basic economy’ airfares,” Mr. Hobica said.

Baggage Fees
It’s hard for me to remember a time when I did not expect to pay extra for baggage. But if you go back about 10 years, there were none.

 

Standard baggage fees for domestic flights have remained steady for several years now at $25 (Spirit and Frontier charge more), but airlines pick up the slack with their charges for overweight bags, which have crept up over the years, Mr. Hobica said.

Once again, Southwest is the no-fee winner, not charging for checked bags (with some size and weight restrictions). You won’t see much budging on this from other airlines (except on international flights).

“Another recent trend is more carriers are starting to charge for carry-on luggage,” Mr. Surry said. Spirit and Frontier already charge for a carry-on.

“The Big Three domestic airlines are following a similar model with their basic fares, where carry-on luggage may not be permitted unless you’re willing to pay extra,” Mr. Hobica said, referring to United, Delta and American.

United, for example, allows only one personal item in its recently created Basic Economy tier, meaning you will have to pay just for using the overhead bin.

In general, learning to pack well is your best chance to reduce baggage fees; weighing your luggage before leaving home will help make sure there are not any surprises at check-in.

In-Flight Fees
And now we come full circle to the $12 blanket.

“The most important step in reducing your total cost is to plan carefully for what additional services you’ll use when you travel, and pay attention to what those add-ons will cost if they’re not included in the base price,” Mr. Surry said.

Most airline websites list these fees, which vary by airline, fare and flight, so do your homework.

American and Delta made most of their in-flight entertainment options free last year, but many others, including Southwest and Hawaiian, still charge for movies and television.

Bringing your own tablet with pre-downloaded content (don’t forget the earbuds, for which many airlines also charge) is now a no-brainer; you’ll avoid charges for what you watch. Many airlines allow access to free entertainment options via apps that you download in advance. You will also avoid any potential rental charges for tablets; domestic airlines charge between $8 and $15 depending on the length of flight.

Other common-sense approaches for saving money include eating at the airport or bringing a sandwich onboard. And don’t forget to dress appropriately; nobody wants to pay $12 for a blanket.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 30,249
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Those pesky airline fees and how to avoid them

Thanks goodness I don't fly very often.  I feel sorry for the business person who flies often.  Ugh!  Who absorbs those costs.....we do of course, the consumer....it's ALL passed down to us!

 

Different but similar.  When my credit card information was stolen before Christmas, the amount was a few dollars under $500.  Specific,  you bet because everything over $500 is considered a felony.  Wellsfargo doesn't go after people who steal under $500 I was told by the agent.  How's about that people?

 

Anyway, my point here is that they just pass along their costs to the consumer, much like the airlines and all of the others do.

 

The poor consumer just can't get a break.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,776
Registered: ‎07-09-2011

Re: Those pesky airline fees and how to avoid them

[ Edited ]

@World Traveler wrote:

What’s a blanket on a cold airplane worth?

 

An article by Justin Sablich of The New York Times (March 27, 2017) had some interesting information to pass on. Cartoon courtesy of Andy Rash.

 

Pesky Airline Fees.jpg

 

Not $12, at least not for one passenger on a recent Hawaiian Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Hawaii. A 66-year-old man was charged $12 for the blanket, but not with anything else, despite causing the flight to be diverted to Los Angeles.

According to news reports, the passenger was deemed “unruly” by airport police after saying he “would like to take someone behind the woodshed for this,” and was removed from the flight.

“Diverting a fight is clearly not our first choice, but our crew felt it was necessary to divert to Los Angeles and deplane the passenger before beginning to fly over the Pacific Ocean,” the airline said in a statement.

George Hobica, the founder of Airfarewatchdog.com said: “I think Hawaiian should have just given him the blanket for free. Doing that emergency landing cost Hawaiian thousands of dollars. This fee seems more silly than exorbitant.”

As most passengers can’t help but notice, add-on fees are becoming more and more prevalent. Mr. Hobica said the fee that makes most passengers angry is the one for changing flights, which costs an average of $200 on domestic flights. But that does not mean the smaller fees aren’t aggravating.

A recent study by the farecasting app Hopper showed that airlines are increasingly “unbundling” their flights, offering lower base prices for travelers to get on the plane and making them pay à la carte for almost everything else, from seat assignments to baggage and in-flight supplements like food, entertainment and, apparently, blankets.

 

These secondary fees now represent roughly 10 percent of total airline revenues, according to Hopper.

The problem is that the fees vary greatly from airline to airline and class to class, which means comparing base ticket prices has become almost meaningless.


“From the consumer’s perspective, this results in increased confusion, and makes it frustratingly difficult to comparison shop or to understand the full cost of travel,” said Patrick Surry, Hopper’s chief data scientist.


For example, Spirit offers the lowest base ticket prices of the eight airlines studied by Hopper, with a median fare of $356, but charges the most for baggage ($50 for the first bag, $111 for the second) and for changing flights ($250). Throw in a $35 carry-on fee and, if you’re a traveler with two checked bags who has changed your flight, you could be paying more than twice the cost of your base fare.


Hopper’s recently released Fair Bear feature aims to help by breaking down the restrictions or fees associated with your flight, Mr. Surry said.


But there’s more you can do to keep your flight costs closer to what you thought you were paying in the first place. Here’s what you need to know about the most common and costly fees.

Change Fees
The change fee is not only the most costly but also the most difficult to avoid. And don’t even think about canceling.

The Hopper study (which excludes data from Southwest and Delta) found that a nonrefundable, domestic reservation in the main cabin is usually changeable, for a price. For example, United charges an average of $200 to change a domestic flight, while Virgin America’s fee is $125, which is the lowest of the airlines studied. The fee varies among the budget airlines as well, with Frontier charging $198 and Spirit $250.

“The higher the change fee on a nonrefundable airfare, the greater the incentive for some travelers to simply buy a more expensive refundable airfare,” Mr. Hobica said.
If you’re prone to changing plans, try to book with Southwest, which is the only major domestic airline that does not charge for canceling or changing your flight. Alaska Airlines will also let it slide if you do so within 60 days (otherwise it’s $125).

Do not expect to see these fees get cheaper or go away anytime soon, unless airlines take away the option of changing a flight altogether.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see change fees go to $250, or for changes and cancellations to be eliminated entirely, as the airlines have done with their ‘basic economy’ airfares,” Mr. Hobica said.

Baggage Fees
It’s hard for me to remember a time when I did not expect to pay extra for baggage. But if you go back about 10 years, there were none.

 

Standard baggage fees for domestic flights have remained steady for several years now at $25 (Spirit and Frontier charge more), but airlines pick up the slack with their charges for overweight bags, which have crept up over the years, Mr. Hobica said.

Once again, Southwest is the no-fee winner, not charging for checked bags (with some size and weight restrictions). You won’t see much budging on this from other airlines (except on international flights).

“Another recent trend is more carriers are starting to charge for carry-on luggage,” Mr. Surry said. Spirit and Frontier already charge for a carry-on.

“The Big Three domestic airlines are following a similar model with their basic fares, where carry-on luggage may not be permitted unless you’re willing to pay extra,” Mr. Hobica said, referring to United, Delta and American.

United, for example, allows only one personal item in its recently created Basic Economy tier, meaning you will have to pay just for using the overhead bin.

In general, learning to pack well is your best chance to reduce baggage fees; weighing your luggage before leaving home will help make sure there are not any surprises at check-in.

In-Flight Fees
And now we come full circle to the $12 blanket.

“The most important step in reducing your total cost is to plan carefully for what additional services you’ll use when you travel, and pay attention to what those add-ons will cost if they’re not included in the base price,” Mr. Surry said.

Most airline websites list these fees, which vary by airline, fare and flight, so do your homework.

American and Delta made most of their in-flight entertainment options free last year, but many others, including Southwest and Hawaiian, still charge for movies and television.

Bringing your own tablet with pre-downloaded content (don’t forget the earbuds, for which many airlines also charge) is now a no-brainer; you’ll avoid charges for what you watch. Many airlines allow access to free entertainment options via apps that you download in advance. You will also avoid any potential rental charges for tablets; domestic airlines charge between $8 and $15 depending on the length of flight.

Other common-sense approaches for saving money include eating at the airport or bringing a sandwich onboard. And don’t forget to dress appropriately; nobody wants to pay $12 for a blanket.


@World Traveler

 

What's a likely dirty blanket on a cold airplane worth?

 

The seats get smaller & the costs go up?  Harder and harder to travel.  I'm working on going back to Israel this fall & my eyes are exhausted from looking at connector flights.

 

I'm seeing charges for connections.  Makes NO sense.

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras
Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,921
Registered: ‎02-07-2011

Re: Those pesky airline fees and how to avoid them

Southwest does not charge for changing flights or for the first 2 checked bags.  If you can, fly them.  I do!

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,892
Registered: ‎07-03-2013

Re: Those pesky airline fees and how to avoid them

I usually fly Delta, but flew United a couple weeks ago.  I had to change my flight.  The website wouldn't takes changes, so I had to call United.  $200 to change it and $50 for a United rep to change it.  Thankfully the airfare was the same, so I didn't have another charge.  They refund the ticket and book it at the current fare.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,355
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Those pesky airline fees and how to avoid them

I wouldn't fly Spitit if the whole darn flight were free.  Worst service and attidtude ever.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,453
Registered: ‎02-02-2015

Re: Those pesky airline fees and how to avoid them

@Drythe I do hope you will post whenever possible while in Israel. I had a wonderful time there, going to Jordan first to see Petra, and made it up to Masada. I would love to re-live my experience thru your journey. So much to see; so much history. Smiley Happy

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,238
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Those pesky airline fees and how to avoid them

I only fly Southwest.  It is a major air carrier out of Baltimore and I travel double the distance to get there.  I do stay overnight with Park Sleep Fly and THE HOTEL shuttle drives me back and forth.  With the modest hotel charge for the stay, I get free 14 day parking.  In any case on SW I can take 4 bags.  I only take one for my hubby and one for me to check.  I carry on something that goes under the seat. Heck I am only 5 feet tall and have no desire to reach up for anything.  I travel light.  Because I get senior fares I can make changes but I never do. 

 

On board I drink one or two free gingerales and whatever the snacks are. 

 

I did twice have a strange incident that bothered me.  They clear out and clean out the plane after landing but they certainly do no more than that.  So technically by the end of the day there is still peanut residue left over.  On one flight the attendant made an announcement that no one could be served peanuts and no one could eat them either.  So if I brought  my own peanut butter sandwich I could not eat it, according to THEM.  I accepted whatever they said and just ate one of the crackers they handed out, or cookies or both.  The second time this happened they gave out no peanuts and what they DID GIVE OUT I WAS ALERGIC TO.  PEPPER LACED CRACKERS.  I cannot have pepper in any form without stomach issues.  I was hungry and expected SOMETHING.  So I looked it up when I got home and it turned out while they we in the right not to give out peanuts, BUT they could not restrict  legally anyones lunch and what was in it.  And the discussion of airborne peanuts took a hit as well because the airborne part  then these allergic passengers are not safe anyway from flight to flight. 

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,776
Registered: ‎07-09-2011

Re: Those pesky airline fees and how to avoid them


@World Traveler wrote:

@Drythe I do hope you will post whenever possible while in Israel. I had a wonderful time there, going to Jordan first to see Petra, and made it up to Masada. I would love to re-live my experience thru your journey. So much to see; so much history. Smiley Happy


@World Traveler

 

I hope too.  This will be my 3rd trip to Israel and my fingers & toes are crossed!

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,221
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Those pesky airline fees and how to avoid them

Looking forward to your posts. Israel is on our list. No chance this year as the kitchen remodel has taken precedence.

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