Think you just booked an incredible deal on an airline ticket? Well, travel experts are warning you to “think again,” especially once you read the fine print.
According to our current travel system, airline and travel websites only show the cost of the ACTUAL ticket, including taxes and airport fees. But what these sites are omitting are the “extra” fees, which when factored in could end up costing you 50% more than you’re even aware of.
Airlines are notoriously nickel-and-diming travelers these days, on everything from baggage fees to charges for extra legroom, early boarding and more. The Consumer Travel Alliance analyzed the base fares and extra charges for nine major airlines on four popular domestic routes. Surprisingly, it found that a traveler requesting extra legroom and checking 2 bags might pay an average of 54% more than the base price of the ticket shown at the time of purchase.It’s an incredible game of bait and switch that the government has surprisingly allowed airlines to conduct. Airlines peak your interest with an attractively cheap airfare, then reel you into purchasing it. But once you’re at the airport on the day of travel with limited to no options to make any changes, BAM! They hit you with a ton of unforeseen fees that have now made that attractively cheap airfare cost well above what you expected or could possibly afford. These extra charges are bad enough for a single traveler. But for a family trying to book a trip, these fees can mean hundreds of dollars in unanticipated expenses, said Charles Leocha, director of the Consumer Travel Alliance.
“It shocked me that American consumers basically have to [shop] with a blindfold on,” Leocha said. “By having all these hidden fees, the airlines are removing the ability from consumers to compare prices.” Leocha was especially frustrated that websites like Travelocity and Expedia show base airfares only, while airline websites don’t reveal the fees until the very end of the buying process.
The Consumer Travel Alliance wants Congress and the Department of Transportation to require airlines to disclose all fees at the time that they file their airfares, so travelers can get the whole picture. This would provide travelers with a better consumer experience, since they would know from first glance if that incredible deal on an airfare, is actually incredible after all.
