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How to Avoid Excessive Airline Fees While Traveling

by Flexo on November 9, 2009

in Travel

My recent experiences traveling across country gave me more appreciation, or disapproval, of the lengths airlines are now gong to empty the wallets of travelers. The flight industry once positioned itself as luxury travel, with a variety of free amenities, but the industry takes the opposite approach now.

Yes, it is true that airlines compete mostly on airfare. I understand companies need to recover the cost of airport real estate and fuel in other ways. The airlines find it easy to hide the many varieties of fees. Travelers who are rushed — and the security process ensures more people will feel rushed — are more willing to pay for something rather than argue or look for other options. Additionally, it seems like every month an airline decides to begin charging for something that has traditionally been free.

Here are some ways to avoid getting nickel-and-dimed by the airlines.

1. Bring your own food. While you can’t bring much liquid through security, you can bring food with you from outside the airport. Once you enter the airport, the food you will find in the restaurants and shops will be over-priced. If you wait until you are on the plane, not only will the options be more expensive, there will be fewer options. Make something at home, add some snacks to quell your appetite, and bring an empty water bottle to fill at the fountain once you pass security.

2. Pack light. Several airlines now charge if you check a bag. Try to travel with only a carry-on bag if possible. If not, don’t let your luggage exceed the weight limits. And check in online before hand; checking a bag in person can often cost more than checking a bag online.

3. Arrive to the airport early. Leave more than enough time to proceed through security and relax at the gate before boarding time. Avoiding stress at the airport will prevent you from taking the easy way out on choices and buying things with which you can live out.

4. Bring your own pillow and blanket. If you are used to the free blanket and pillow traditionally offered for free on long flights, you’ll be disappointed to find they are not available in all cases, and when they are, often you will have to pay. If you can pack a small pillow and blanket your own in your carry-on bag or live without them, your wallet will thank you.

5. Bring your own headphones. Airlines are offering more entertainment for free. Almost every flight I’ve been on for the past two years have featured a monitor in the back of the seat in front of me with a variety of channel options. Most flights will charge you for headphones for listening to the programming, however. In almost all cases, your own headphones or iPod ear buds will work just fine. Even on Continental Airlines flights, where the audio is delivered with two mono jacks rather than one stereo jack, you can use your own headphone and experience half of the audio.

6. Bring your own entertainment. Listen to your own music or watch your own movies on your computer. While many airlines do have some free entertainment, they will want to offer you more for a fee. Even though I had access to free television shows on Delta, the better shows and movies would have cost several dollars. I stuck with the free entertainment provided by the airline as well as my own equipment.

7. Don’t use curbside check-in. If you are dropping off bags to be checked, bring them inside. Curbside check-in may save some time, but if you arrive at the airport early enough, you can save money by dropping your bags off inside the terminal.

8. Use your own internet access. With my BlackBerry, I already paid for a tethering service. While I was sitting in the terminal waiting to board my flights, I could connect the phone to my computer to access the Internet. Some airports have free WiFi now, but not many. If you want to access the Internet while waiting, you may have to pay a fee to access a proprietary Wifi network. Better yet, if your life and work don’t involve constantly being online, try to avoid the Internet completely while traveling.

9. Don’t be picky about your seat selection. I have found that more airlines are charging for reserving an exit row or bulkhead seat in advance, if they allow the practice at all. Thanks to SeatGuru, it’s easy to find the best seats on any airplane, and the airlines want to charge premiums now that everyone wants the best seats. If you would be comfortable wherever they place you, don’t pay any extra money for better placement.

10. Complain to Congress. If Congress was able to force credit card companies to stop their anti-consumer policies of over-charging and double-charging, perhaps they would have some luck with the airline industry as well. Keep in mind, when one door closes another one usually opens; companies usually find a way to get around restrictions and continue making life difficult for customers to protect the bottom line and shareholders.

What other airline fees have you discovered and how do you avoid them?

Photo credits: paalia, georgeparrilla

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Delta Airlines: Good Airfare But Not My Favorite Airline

by Flexo on November 2, 2009

in Travel

As of this past Saturday, my brother is now a married man. He and his wife live in California, and I spent Halloween attending their wedding and the past week visiting with my family in that state. I am happy I was able to take a week off from my day job and spend it with my relatives for the occasion. It was a beautiful ceremony and a fun reception and party, and within a few weeks, the new couple will be traveling to Costa Rica for their honeymoon.

The wedding was on Halloween, but costumes were not required.

I was happy to find a great deal on airfare for the cross-country travel. Delta Airlines offered a rate of $250 including tax for the round trip travel from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. This rate is about $100 less than the lowest rate I have ever paid for a trip for the Philadelphia or New York area to the Los Angeles area and several hundred dollars less than the typical rate.

In order to qualify for this low rate, I had to make a few sacrifices:

  • DeltaJFK is not my preferred airport. Either Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) or Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) are more convenient.
  • When checking in for departure online, I was charged $15 for checking a bag in addition to my carry-on luggage.
  • After arriving at the airport, checking my luggage, and proceeding through security, I was directed towards a shuttle bus to take us to our gate at a different terminal.
  • On the flight, we are treated to amenities like a full-featured, personal media center but if we want a meal we would need to pay at least $8.
  • The seats on the flight offer less legroom than I am used to from other airlines like JetBlue and Continental. By the time I booked the flight, exit rows and bulkhead seats were unavailable.
  • LAX is not my preferred airport, either. A better choice for the Los Angeles area, where my brother lives, is Long Beach Airport (LGB). When visiting my mother, I would prefer John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County.
  • Unable to check in online in advance for the return trip, I was charged $20 for having a bag checked. I also left a tip for curbside check-in.

Considering the price was half of what I might otherwise pay for a trip to California, I was willing to put up with a few annoyances. Although I like JetBlue, I feel no particular loyalty to any one company. I do not travel enough for frequent flier rewards to have any impact on my purchasing behavior.

Do you have a favorite or preferred airline or airport? Do you stick to your favorites or are you willing to compromise on comfort for a great airfare?

Photo credit: Hong Kong dear Edward

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Southwest Air’s $10 Boarding Upgrade

by Smithee on September 2, 2009

in Travel

Southwest Air, which is the airline I consider when I feel like saving upwards of 50% off the price of a ticket, today introduced a new option for boarding before other people.

If you’ve never flown Southwest before, you may not know that they don’t assign seats like, well, every other airline I can think of. You get put in a group, and something between the honor system and common courtesy then decides exactly when you board, and subsequently, where you sit.

Southwest also offers “Business Select” and “A-List Customer” designations, but now the rest of us also have the opportunity, if we want to spend an extra $10, of boarding early. From their Web site:

EarlyBird Check-in is designed for passengers who have purchased electronic tickets at the Wanna Get Away Fare, Anytime Fare, Senior Fare or DING! Fare

EarlyBird boarding positions are automatically assigned and confirmed 36 hours prior to your scheduled departure time

With EarlyBird Check-in, you’ll receive a better boarding position that is confirmed for your trip. Since you’re boarding earlier, there will be more open seats and overhead bin space from which to choose. Then you can sit back and relax as the other passengers board.

(See more Early-Bird Check-In FAQs.)

Picture-1

(Photo by adotjdotsmith.)

Unlike other airlines, which have recently begun charging for any and all baggage (pretending, I guess, that it wasn’t already included in the price of the ticket, and that they were voluntarily losing money on the proposition for the past few decades), Southwest is offering a somewhat-innovative service for the extra fee.

Southwest Air to charge $10 to board early, Deepa Seetharaman, Reuters, Sep. 2, 2009

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Airline Fees for Checking Bags

by Flexo on May 14, 2009

in Travel

Spurred on by Erica Douglas in response to my thoughts about airline fees for checked baggage, here is a list of the fees charged by airlines for traveling with this particular expected service. I should have done this research before embarking on my previous trip to Arizona. I might not have been able to avoid the fees, but I would have better expected to be charged for a service whose cost was previously rolled into the fare.

The fees below are charged for domestic flights, not international travel. The prices represent the cost to check one or more bags each way. If you’ve booked a round trip flight, you will be charged these fees once for your initial flight and once again for your return flight.

Most airlines offer ways to avoid these fees which usually involve qualifying for second-tier status in their frequent traveler programs.

AirTran: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $50 for each additional bag.
Aliaska Airlines: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $50 for the third bag, $100 for each additional bag up to a total of seven bags.
American Airlines: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $100 each for the third, fourth and fifth bags, $200 for each additional bag.
Continental Airlines: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $100 for each additional bag.
Delta: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $125 for the third bag, $200 for each additional bag up to a total of ten bags.
jetBlue: No charge for the first bag, $20 for the second bag, $75 for each additional bag.
Northwest: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $125 for the third bag, $200 for each additional bag up to a total of ten bags.
Southwest: No charge for the first two bags, $25 for the third bag, $50 for each additional bag up to a total of nine bags.
United Airlines: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag if you pay online; $5 extra if you pay at the airport.
US Aiwrways: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $100 for each additional bag up to a total of nine bags. If you pay at the airport, the fees are $20 for the first bag, $30 for the second bag.
Virgin America: $15 for each bag up to a total of ten bags.

Are there any major airlines missing from this list? Let me know in the comments and I will update this article.

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Airline Baggage Fees Increasing in Popularity

by Flexo on May 13, 2009

in Travel

When I traveled to Arizona in April, I was charged $15 for each flight for checking my luggage. While I knew that many airlines had begun charging extra for services that were once “free,” like meals and baggage check, I didn’t recall seeing any warning when I originally booked the flight several weeks earlier. I have no problem with these add-on fees. On an earlier trip, I was happy to pay an extra $25 in both directions for a better-placed seat, a benefit that I used to be able to receive just by asking for certain exit row placements.

But let’s be clear. These things were never free. Travelers paid for meals, checked baggage, entertainment, and all the other amenities w have come to expect while flying, but the cost was unnoticed. The cost of these items was simply rolled into the cost of the ticket. Airlines, under the strain to compete with each other, have been reluctant to raise fares, the most visible differentiation. With services like SideStep, companies are aware that in most cases, people choose flights based almost solely on the flight with the lowest price.

A number of commentators don’t seem to understand that we’ve been paying for these services all along. This article from CNN Money explains how new or raised amenity fees have saved the airlines from extinction.

Since travelers have always been paying for these services, although they were rolled into the price of the ticket, it might make sense to continue looking at the overall cost of the flight when making comparisons.

The airlines do need to do a better job of explaining all the fees up front so consumers can make educated selections based on total price. But let’s not consider these fees “added” or “extra,” it’s just a case of higher prices.

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JetBlue Now Charges for Pillows and Blankets on Flights

by Flexo on August 5, 2008

in Travel

In order to remain competitive, airlines try to keep fare prices low. When that strategy starts to break down and airlines can’t compensate for the cost of flying in the normal way (increasing bookings, and decreasing flights) and they still resist raising fares, they look for new ways to earn revenue.

So now we’re charged for meals and luggage, both of which were once included in the fare price for most flights. JetBlue Airways is now selling a pillow and blanket set for $7. I’ve noticed the disappearance of the “free” pillows and blankets that once adorned seats while boarding, but now they’ve returned in another fashion.

The $7 will provide you with your own unused pillow and blanket set. As they are charging for the privilege of comfort, at least you don’t have to cuddle with the same bedding used by travelers before you. The set also comes with a $5 coupon for Bed, Bath, and Beyond, making the purchase a little more attractive.

JetBlue Starts Selling Blankets and Pillows, Micheline Maynard, New York Times August 5, 2008.

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Get Ready to Pay More to Fly

by Flexo on March 15, 2008

in Travel

As gas prices approach $4.00 nationally this summer, airlines are looking for ways to keep their profit margins without increasing ticket prices. Even though the average today is still “only” $3.20, some airlines have begun to make some changes.

Carriers have been scrambling for ways to “up-sell” fliers, including selling first-class upgrades, fancy alcoholic drinks and day passes to airport clubs. But they’ve also been stripping out previously free services and charging customers for anything more than basic transportation — everything from use of skycaps and telephone reservationists to on-board meals and, at a few carriers, assigned seats and exit-row or bulkhead legroom.

In my experience on airplanes in the last few years, I’ve been charged extra for food and headphones. In my latest foray booking with Virgin America, they wanted more money to reserve slightly better seats like those in the bulkhead or exit rows.

I’d like to get used to traveling with everything I need in carry-on luggage, but that’s not always possible. Charging for more than one or two checked bags is already part of the flying experience. Check out this chart from Yahoo Finance/Wall Street Journal.

Costs for airline baggage

The airlines are doing everything they can to avoid raising ticket prices, thanks to consumers’ tendencies to live and die by the fare price.

US Airways spends roughly $250 million a year on baggage service, Mr. Parker says, and passing some of that cost to customers who actually use the service helps the airline offer lower basic fares. Consumers will switch airlines over even a $5 fare difference, airlines say, but are less sensitive to fees paid at the airport.

The psychology of money is interesting, and I am a victim just like most humans. I’ll search online for the lowest fare that makes sense for my schedule requirements, but buy overpriced food in the airport and opt for upgrades elsewhere.

Baggage Becomes a Big-Ticket Item [Wall Street Journal Online]

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Anyone Fly Virgin America?

by Flexo on March 9, 2008

in Travel

This weekend, I purchased tickets for the trip my girlfriend I will be taking to California in April. My general method of operation for purchasing airline tickets is to decide which dates will be best for traveling taking into account my schedule and my girlfriend’s schedule. She’s a teacher who doesn’t take vacations or sick days except for calendar vacation days set by the New York City Public Schools, so our vacations coincide with winter break, spring break, and over the summer.

I check SideStep to compare options from a variety of airlines and schedules, usually plus or minus one or two days depending on our available schedule. I take some mental notes and check back about once a week until I’m ready to pull the trigger.

Invariably, I end up waiting until I’m within the “six week window” in which prices are higher. I’m barely within that window now — we will depart on April 21 — and the prices haven’t risen.

We don’t choose the cheapest flight, which would usually involve flying from an inconvenient airport or at an inconvenient time. Given the choice to spend a little extra money and not find a way to the airport at 5:00 am, not take a red-eye flight, and not require battling the Los Angeles rush “hour,” we’ll spend the extra money.

This time, Virgin America presented the best non-stop schedule for the best price. Virgin America is a new airline for me. I checked some reviews online before booking and generally found promising opinions. Rather than booking through SideStep, I booked directly at Virgin America’s website to ensure I was getting the best scheduling options.

I noticed that Virgin America charges more for better seats. Their interface allowed me to choose our seats before finalizing the reservation, and the bulk head and exit row seats, which have more leg room, would cost an additional $25 each to reserve. Other airlines don’t generally allow you to reserve these seats in advance, but I don’t like the idea of being charged more for a seat that’s only slightly better than the others in the main cabin. As far as I know, no other airline shares this policy.

Virgin America sports what seems like a neat entertainment center for each traveler, a step up from jetBlue’s television. Movies and food all cost extra on these flights, however. I’ll probably stick with reading a book or listening to my own music and bringing my own food for the flight.

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