Since holiday season is now fast approaching, holidaymakers will also surely be on the hype of traveling via air. If you have plans to fly, you'll need to be vigilant for extra airport terminal charges, from carry-on baggage fees to assigned seating. Different airlines have many ways on how to trick their customers to rip off their money because of the rules and regulations that various airlines have.
According to Time.com, a 2016 research firm IdeaWorksCompany found that extra charges, known as 'ancillary revenue', increased among the 10 largest airline carriers. Here's a look at some of the more notorious airline fees you'll need to watch, as also listed down by Yahoo! New Zealand.
1. Carry-On Baggage
Some budget airlines charges passengers for their carry-on bag. As per Time.com, Spirit Airlines, carry-on bag that will be put in overhead bins will cost $20 to $100 per bag.
2. Paying With a Credit Card
When you pay with a credit card, some airlines charge a fee on it. Ryanair, the European carrier, charges an extra 2% of the total transaction when you use a credit card like PayPal account, American Express or prepaid MasterCard. While Qantas, charges an extra 1.3 percent on top of your fare when you use credit card. Meanwhile, using a debit card is an exemption for those fees.
3. Boarding Pass Reissue
Some airlines still require a printed copy of boarding pass even though mobile apps are mostly use now. If you forgot to print your boarding pass at home, low cost carriers will ask for an additional charge for it.
4. In-Flight WiFi
Wi-Fi has been a necessity and definitely is in demand nowadays. That's why many airlines have a Wi-Fi access, but is not for free. American Express charges $19 for a Wi-Fi and the charge will depend on the distance of your flight.
5. Assigned Seating
Travelling with family members or friends through a low-cost ticket may actually give you more savings. However, the probable downside is that you need to pay extra fee if you like to assign seats or else, you'll most likely be seating apart from each other. Delta offers basic economy tickets that will cost; but, they will not let you choose your own seat.
6. Name Correction
Prior booking confirmation, you need to ensure that you have typed in your full name details correctly on your ticket; otherwise, it will be another waste of money for the correction fees. Although some airlines don't allow a name to be changed or corrected but some requires a name correction with a price tag involved.
7. Overweight Baggage
Another major source of airlines' ancillary revenues are the extra charges they require on customers for excess baggage. On international flights, if you exceed the allowed weight specified by the carrier, you need to be prepared to pay for excess baggage fees.
