Airlines are struggling under the weight of the rising cost of fuel. To keep up with the rising cost, airlines have increased airfares. However, they have gone beyond raising airfares; they have introduced fees on services, which were at one time included in the cost of the airline ticket.
These fees for standard and optional services eat into the cost of traveling, and include such fees as carry on bag fee, first checked bag fee, second checked bag fee, headphones, movies, alcohol, meals or snacks, beverage and the list goes on. The most surprising of all the fees is the infant on the lap fee. Using flying as the mode of transportation on family vacations will eat into your traveling budget because of the cost of airfare along with the additional fees for standard or optional services.
When you are comparison shopping for the lowest airfare, not only will you be asking about the price of the ticket itself, but you will also need to inquire about any of the additional fees you might be required to pay. You will be weighting the cost of certain services. If you are flying “red eye” and intend to sleep during the flight, you might want to know if there will be a charge for the use of a pillow and blanket. The same goes for a flight to the Orient, which can usually take close to 24 hours if not more; you, will know about the cost of meals or snacks plus the cost of beverages during the flight.
It might interest you to find out the additional charges will not be included with the price of your ticket, however additional fees are payable at the time of use. You will have no idea which of the additional charges you need to be prepared for. All airlines do not charge for all of the standard or optional services however when they do charge an additional fee, the fee will differ with each airline. Take for example on a flight out of Dallas, TX to Phoenix, AZ, only a few of the airlines charged for the first check in baggage. On the second checked in bag all the airlines charged a price. When it came to the meal/snack or beverages, only a few charged a price the majority did not. So the prices may not only vary by airline, but also by the flight. A longer flight may have more charges.
In their effort to compensate for the rising cost of fuel, the airlines have made traveling by air more difficult that it has been since 9/11. As you are making your travel plans, you will need to be aware of the standard and optional services the airline could charge addition fees for. If you normally check in a curbside, you might want to rethink that luxury because there could be an addition fee for curbside check in. You may want to make do with one large bag, however considering there is probably an addition fee for the overweight bag; two bags might be more economical. So how does the traveler find the best airfare for their money?
You will be happy to know there are services popping up on the Internet to help you sort through the mêlée of the standard and optional services fees. These websites like Compare Airline Fees will let you know what additional charges the airline is charging for your specific flight. Then when you go to someone like Priceline or Orbitz to look for an airline ticket price, you will know the additional charges you will be required to pay. This will help you get the best value for your traveling dollar. |
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