People are often surprised at how costly it is to traveleven after a careful review of their cheaptravel options, including cheap fares, cheapdeals, cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, cheap auto rentals, discounttravel deals, and cheap vacation packages,because of unexpected airline fees.
The following are some common fees on domestic flights andways that they can be bypassed or at least lessened, according to EileenAmbrose:
Mostairlines charge to check luggage, often starting at $25 for the first bag andquickly escalating. For example, the feefor three or more bags on United and Delta is $150 each, while four or morebags on American costs $200. Ideally youshould pack light and travel with only a carry-on. Alternatively, at least some of your bags mayfly free if you charge your airline tickets using that airlines branded creditcard.
Somefliers avoid baggage fees by checking their bag at the gate, which is often,but not always free. Do not try thisstrategy when flying with ultralow-fare airlines. When flying ultralow-fare airlines Spirit orAllegiant, baggage fees will be lower if you pay them at the time of bookinginstead of later at the airport.
Oversizedor overweight luggage is costly to fly. When a bag fits both criteria you may have to pay two fees. Oversized fees often cost $75 to $200. Overweight bags cost $75 to $100, but canreach $200 for each bag over 7- pounds on American, Delta, and United. If you want to avoid such fees make certainthat you bag is not larger than the 62 inches allowed by many airlines andweigh your bag before going to the airport to stay under the 50 lbs limit.
Alternatively consider mailing yourluggage ahead of time to your destination. Shipping a 51-pound bag from Chicago to New York via FedEx ground costsas little as $41.
Mostairlines charge to make a change to a nonrefundable ticket. American, Delta, and United charge a $200 feeto change a domestic flight.
If youneed to cancel your flight, try to do so within the first 24 hours after youmake a reservation, provided you booked seven or more days before theflight. Federal regulations requireairlines operating in the U.S. to fully refund your money in such cases. Unfortunately, it is usually not worthwhilebuying refundable airline tickets because they tend to be two to three timesmore expensive than nonrefundable tickets.
Select airlines offer more flier friendlychange policies. Alaska Airlines doesnot charge a fee if you make a change more than 60 days before departure. For $59 Frontier offers The Works, apackage of perks that includes a waiver of change fees.
Giventhat not all seats are viewed as providing equal comfort, many airlines chargefor extra leg room or to sit by a window or aisle, or to even allow peopletraveling together to sit side by side. Seat fees range from $15 to $150 on domestic flights, depending ondistance and demand. Some airlines waiveor discount seat fees for frequent fliers, depending on their status.
Alternatively, some passengers letairlines assign their seats for free, usually in the back and/or middle seats,and then 24 hours or less before departure, check to see if a desirable seathas opened that can be secured without paying extra.
Priorityboarding which enables fliers to get on planes early costs range from $4 to$30. Some travelers view this as aworthwhile expense to ensure access to overhead bin space. Others avoid this fee by using certainairline branded credit cards.
Whileairlines do not charge for one small personal item such as a purse orbriefcase, low-cost airlines Allegiant, Frontier, and Spirit charge a fee forcarry-on that has to fit is overhead bins that range from $15 to $100,depending on the flight and whether the fee is paid at the time the ticket ispurchased online. Depending on whichairline you fly, you should only carry a single bag which will fit under yourseat.
Airlinesgenerally charge for food and sometimes beverages on flights. Elite status frequent fliers are sometimesentitled to free meals as well as those holding airline branded creditcards. Otherwise, pack a snack for yourflight and only drink complimentary beverages.
Makinga reservation over the phone can be costly. Allegiant charges $15 for this per segment, defined as each stop on anitinerary. American assesses $25 topurchase a ticket over the phone. Unitedcharges $50 to buy a ticket in person at the airport. The solution is to purchase your ticketsonline or fly with an airline that does not charge a fee to purchase a ticket directlyfrom one of their representatives.
Selectlow cost airlines ($5 Allegiant, $10 Spirit) charge a fee to print out aboarding pass at the airport. Insteadprint your boarding pass at home for free.
WhileWi-Fi is offered for free on JetBlue, most airlines charge $8 to $16 for adaily pass. Consider reading a bookwhile flying, or if you will want Internet service, check with your airline inadvance. Some airlines offer limitedInternet access for free, or will provide a discount when this service is paidin advance.
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