How to avoid the endless charges imposed by airlines

I am going to be honest with you here: booking plane tickets is my least favorite part of my job. I am extremely happy when I can find a killer deal for someone, because nothing makes me happier than a good bargain, but overall they create more stress for me than just about anything else. On a personal level I am also constantly annoyed by the seemly endless charges they continue to impose.

Intellectually, I know why they are doing it- just like everyone else they are trying to make a buck. In a day and age where airlines are merging and filing for bankruptcy left and right they need to do what they can to not only stay afloat (or up in the air as the case may be) but also make a profit which should be the goal of any business.

I also know how hard people work for their money, and paying $30 to check your bag after you have paid $500 for the flight can sometimes seem not only irritating but insulting. Airlines know that they have the upper hand, they are a necessary evil- it’s a longggg car ride, walk or bike ride from North Carolina to Los Angeles and as the world becomes smaller we rely on them to get us where we need to go with few other viable options.

So here are some simple ways to avoid fees.

Change Fees

Again, a necessary evil. If there were no change fees people would buy up the cheap seats and then change their travel dates and times. It would be a mess. Most airline tickets are nonrefundable and non-transferable. You can cancel, pay a change fee, and then pay the fare difference when it is reissued.  

If you don’t want to pay the $200 change fee, you can buy a refundable ticket. They cost a bit more upfront but end up saving you more in the end if you need to change your itinerary. Just about all carriers offer this option.

Baggage Fees

There are a few options here. You can go like Joey on friends and wear everything you’ve got, however, with summer coming up you might get hot. So here are a few other options:

-Fly on Southwest Airlines or Cape Air where your first checked bag is free

-Sign up for an Airline Credit Card; often one of the perks is a free checked bagged (along with the added bonus of 50,000 miles, priority check-in and a free beverage!)

-Ship your luggage ahead of time. Just make sure it arrives before or on the same day you do. UPS Ground or FexEx are often cheaper than the fees the airline will charge.

-Gate check! If it’s small enough to fit in the overhead and space fills up (9 out of 10 times the overhead is full before boarding group 2), you can gate check your bag for free with most airlines.  

Beverage Fees

When things really got rough a few years ago and airlines were going bankrupt left and right a lot of them started charging for beverages. I considered this to be a real low point. In a day and age where every 3^rd child is allergic to peanuts, I see why the snacks had to stop, but really, my seltzer water?  Solution: buy a drink in the airport. It will still be more expensive than at your local grocer but it will be cheaper than on the airplane.

Seat Fees

Some airlines charge for your seats. Yes, you read that right. If you want what is considered to be a prime seat (first few rows, exit row, extra 2 inches of leg room, etc.) you need to pay. Paying for these is sort of unavoidable. There are options though. You can buy tickets that include prime seats (on some airlines, like Frontier, these also include the refundable fares). You can also always try the old “it’s our honeymoon” trick and see if that gets you a free upgrade!

Wi-Fi Fees

Be sure the flight is long enough to make the cost worth while. You will need your devices to be in airplane mode during takeoff and landing, which are typically 20-30 minutes each. Is it worth it to pay $15 for Wi-Fi you can only use for 30 minutes? That’s up to you, but perhaps being disconnected for a few hours would serve you well!

Airline with the Most Fees (in the USA)

If you hate fees the airline to avoid is Spirit Air. It has been voted the worst airline in America as well as made it on a list of the worlds worst airlines. Reason being? The Fees! They sucker you in with super low rates and then charge you an arm and a leg for EVERYTHING else.

Coming in a close second is Allegiant and third Frontier. 

The fees are being added and changed all the time….probably since you’ve started reading this two new airline fees have been added! ;-)

For further info:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ways-to-avoid-airline-baggage-fees_us_5a0b1c3ae4b060fb7e59d3df
https://www.tripsavvy.com/avoid-baggage-fees-guide-459596

If you have a tip of your own, please leave a comment and share it below!

Bon Voyage!