My dad always says nothing in life is free… and now the airlines are proving him right. Airlines are starting to charge for many services that once were free — such as assigned seating, paper tickets, blankets, and in some cases (GASP!), pretzels. If you are someone who doesn’t fly often, you may be in for some unpleasant surprises when you get to the airport for your next flight.
Intense competition from low-fare airlines along with high jet-fuel prices have led many major airlines to cut back or charge passengers for amenities. For example, many airlines no longer serve meals on flights (Continental Airlines is one of the few that still offers hot meals on domestic flights). Instead passengers are charged for snack boxes and sandwiches. During a recent flight on American Airlines I broke down and bought one of the snack boxes. For $4 I got a bag of dried cranberries, cookies, and pretzels. The food wasn’t bad… it’s the price that I had a problem with. On my return flight, I again opted to purchase in-flight food and paid $8 for a turkey wrap. It was deli sliced turkey with sprouts, tomatoes, and cheese rolled up in a spinach-flavored tortilla. Frankly, I liked it. But, others may disagree.
My “American” experience was not nearly as bad as the one my friend recently endured on Air Canada. The airline, which recently emerged from bankruptcy, has decided to give passengers the choice of buying an inflatable pillow and a light fleece blanket for $2. The airline would like you to consider the $2 charge as an investment in a “comfort package.” My friend saved $2 by balling up his jacket in lieu of the pillow.
But the added costs aren’t limited to the airplane ride. Talking to an airline reservation agent instead of booking a ticket on the Internet will add between $5 and $10 to the price of a ticket. A paper ticket instead of a computer-generated one will cost $20 or $30 for a domestic flight.
And here is where I ALWAYS get hit: Overweight luggage. It’s not bad enough that I am conscious about packing on the pounds during the holidays, now my bags need to go on a diet as well. Airlines are now strictly enforcing limits on baggage size and weight. Most airlines charge passengers at least $25 for a bag that weighs more than 50 pounds. While a third checked bag will cost roughly $80.
Some airlines are now even charging to reserve seats with extra legroom. United Airlines charges $24-$99 to sit in the Economy Plus section, which has five extra inches of leg room. In March, Northwest Airlines began charging $15 for exit rows and some forward aisle seats.
Then there’s low-cost airline Southwest, which doesn’t assign seats at all (this can be good or bad). Not only does the airline not assign seats it also doesn’t charge for a la carte services. In fact, a soda, a bag of pretzels, a changed ticket–none of it will cost you extra. The exception being overweight and oversized bags.
So airline travelers beware: If you don’t want to pack your own food and your own pillow and blanket, then pack enough cash so that you can get them mid-flight.