Beat Budget Airline Charges Article Discussion

Normski3

The real problem here is not just all the extra charges but the fact that they conceal these charges in their advertising. We all know that "free" or "10p" flights are going to cost a lot more but we should be campaigning for ALL charges to be mentioned in adverts for these cheap flights. Some elements however warrant individual attack. Charges for paying by credit card are common in the travel industry but are normally applied as a percentage. To charge per person per flight when it is all paid for on a single card transaction is pure profiteering.

Huge progress has been made in the battle over bank charges. Let's get the battle rolling on hidden and exorbitant charges from airlines.

sacherlover

I quite agree with Martin's suggestion to buy food and drink to take on board instead of paying inflated prices on board - HOWEVER - make sure you buy drink AFTER you have got through security and are airside.

I was fortunate in that a Boots assistant reminded me about the no liquids rule when I was about to buy a Meal Deal ground side (before security).

Check what shops are available airside at whichever airport you are at - security will even confiscate yoghurt that was part of a breakfast cereal package...

janh_2

OllyB wrote: »

The other tip is large items of sports equipment (skis, snow/surfboards etc) GET BOOKED IN A DIFFERENT SECTION TO HOLD BAGGAGE AT A HIGHER CHARGE!!!. The list of items in this category is on a drop down list in a different section to hold baggage (which comes first), so not easy to spot.

True - however that extra charge (£18.50 pre-paid at the moment) "increases your checked-in hold baggage allowance (including additional item) to a maximum weight of 32kgs" - ie 12 extra kg of baggage allowance, which would of course cost you 12 x £9 or £108 at current rates otherwise! And as skis etc don't weigh anything like that much, you can stick other kit - eg boots - in the bag with them.

janh_2

Normski3 wrote: »

The real problem here is not just all the extra charges but the fact that they conceal these charges in their advertising. We all know that "free" or "10p" flights are going to cost a lot more but we should be campaigning for ALL charges to be mentioned in adverts for these cheap flights. Some elements however warrant individual attack. Charges for paying by credit card are common in the travel industry but are normally applied as a percentage. To charge per person per flight when it is all paid for on a single card transaction is pure profiteering.

Huge progress has been made in the battle over bank charges. Let's get the battle rolling on hidden and exorbitant charges from airlines.

I work for a travel company which amongst other things does book low-cost flights with some airlines - our surcharge is a fixed 1.95% of the total with a credit card & nothing at all with a debit card, & we book with most of the airlines mentioned (except Ryanair).

The best form of attack on Ryanair's pricing policy would be a total boycott but unfortunately, even with their recent reduction in flights, they still cover so many destinations that's never likely to happen (although the £20 per person each way check-in charge might just swing it :mad:)

lindo

Please do not try the scam where one person in a group of passengers pays for priority boarding then keeps seats for their friends.

I always pay for priority boarding as I am a tall person and have come across people trying this one.

If I want one of the seats that they are trying to reserve for friends who are not on board, then I take it.

I have payed for this privalage and do not appreciate being put in this confrontational situation by someone trying swindle me out of what I should have.

The possibility of an air rage incident could be quite high if people try this dodge which only works if the legitimate passengers let them away with it.

richardw

lindo wrote: »

the scam where one person in a group of passengers pays for priority boarding then keeps seats for their friends.

I've seen the cabin crew disallow this.

ladarian4

I have noticed with Flybe that if you choose the cheaper flights at the start of the booking process it sometimes costs more at the end because the taxes and charges that are then added are higher. I would have thought that this should be a fairly standard price.

thefenman

richardw wrote: »

http://www.halifax.co.uk/bankaccounts/easycash.asp

My daughter has an Electron card linked to her Halifax bank account and she lets me use it for Ryan bookings. She doesn't have to charge the card with cash as a separate process, it just works as a debit card against her bank account. I make the booking and use on line banking to pay her back - and the money is credited to her account in minutes.

Martin_Hill

In addition to the "extras" charged by airlines, the airport authorities are at it too.
At East Midlands Airport (EMA) if you do not have a sealable plastic bag to contain your tubes, lotions and liquids they insist that you buy one from a dispensing machine at a cost of £1.00 (Yes One pound)
AND
They have introduced a fast track lane through security for which each passenger pays £3.00.
So Martin's (great name! Martin) family of 4 could pay an extra £16.00 to get through security fast.

Talk about rip off Britain!!!

Martin Hill

MKB

Shockingly, bmibaby will now deliberately sit a group of people on the same booking in seats that are not together, if you don't pay for to choose your own seats.

I recently travelled with my partner (on the same booking) with bmibaby from East Midlands to Glasgow. On such a short flight, I thought it not worth choosing particular seats and would take my chances with what the computer gave us at online check-in. Despite 95% of the plane being available, were I prepared to pay, the computer gave us seats on different rows.

This being a subsidiary of bmi, who are renowned for their technical problems, I assumed it was a computer glitch. But no, the woman on the bmibaby desk at EMA confirmed to me that adjacent seats will no longer be assigned, even when there are lots of non-premium ones available.

On board, the flight was only half full, and the moment the doors were shut, about 15 people, me included, all jumped up and started swapping round to be with the rest of their party. What a farce.