Airlines: Charging a tangle of fees

Airlines are nickel-and-diming passengers like never before, said Justin Bachman in Businessweek.com. The latest gimmick, from United Airlines, is a “subscription” service that allows travelers to pay annual fees of $349 and up in order to get what they once got for free: “roomier seats or the ability to check a suitcase.” Airlines seem to have embraced the idea that they can make more money by becoming “a shopper’s paradise for people willing to fork over cash up front for the prospect of a better experience when they travel.” But don’t be fooled-—an “à la carte” menu of travel options is just another marketing ploy. And many beleaguered fliers are likely to see in it an unmistakably unpleasant message from the airlines: “Each time you pay us, there will be slightly less pain.”

Maybe so, but other airlines will probably follow suit, said Susan Carey in WSJ.com. Technically, United Airlines is really reviving its subscription service, which it cancelled after its 2010 merger with Continental Airlines. Since then, travelers can pay extra for more legroom on individual flights. The carrier’s major competitors, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, have also started offering roomier coach seats to passengers willing to pay a premium. “It will be interesting to see if American and Delta imitate United’s subscriptions as they did the seats themselves.” For now, the subscription plan looks like a good idea—it “offers convenience and predictability for the passenger, but it also drives loyalty to United because the passengers have made an investment.”

If you find this expanding maze of fees confusing, you’re not alone, said Mitch Lipka in Reuters.com. Before, “all you had to do was look at the price of airfare.” Savvy customers now have to weigh the total cost of traveling with a particular airline after all these extra fees have been tacked on. To do your homework on airline fees, check out travel sites such as Kayak.com, TravelNerd.com, and SmarterTravel.com. They can help break down costs and “provide a sense of how much you can expect to add to the base airfare.” Airlines now charge fees for everything from early check-in and in-flight snacks to reservation changes and even sitting with your family. You can avoid extra costs with airlines such as Southwest and JetBlue, which “have so far bucked much of the fee trend.” Otherwise, if you don’t plan ahead and do your math, you might “watch a ticket price soar with fees.”

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