Coffee, Tea or Fee?

6/23/2015 9:49:03 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

As a longtime traveler I have enjoyed traveling the world for many years. As a longtime travel professional I have seen many changes in the industry - especially with regard to air travel. Long gone are the days when air travelers could enjoy a pleasant in-flight experience at a fair price. The airline industry has become completely fee-driven, and it has worked very well for them, adding billions of dollars to their profits. In 2013 alone $23.7 billion in a la carte fees for food, beverages, baggage, seat preferences and more. However, this windfall for the airlines has taken a real bite out of consumers' budgets. Most of the services that used to be included in the price of a ticket now come with an additional fee.

• If a change is made to a reservation, there can bee a fee in excess of $150
• If there is a passenger name change, there is a fee - even to correct a misspelling.
• If you book the reservation over the telephone there is a booking fee.
• If you want to select a particular seat, there can be a fee. Even with an Economy class ticket, some airlines charge a fee to sit in a particular seat in that section.
• On domestic flights there can be a fee for the in-flight meal. I have a real problem with paying for food that is barely edible.
• Baggage fees top the list, ranging from $25-$100 per bag. And if the bag exceeds the weight allowance, expect to pay an additional fees. So be sure to check your airline's baggage fee schedule before you fly.
• Depending on the airline, fees can also be assessed for carry-on bags, WI-FI, headsets, extra legroom, early boarding and printed boarding passes.

Why do they get away with this highway robbery? Because they can! And with the recent airline mergers, it doesn't appear that this will change anytime soon. So when planning airline travel, be sure to count the cost very carefully. Buyer, beware.