The extras on so-called cheap flights can double the cost – and this holiday they are even higher than ever
Holidaymakers flying abroad with budget airlines face much steeper costs than last year for "extra" services such as baggage and travelling with babies. While fees for using a credit card to book flights have fallen following new rules clamping down on these money-spinning surcharges, airlines are finding plenty of other ways to claw back revenue.
Worldwide, airlines raked in a staggering $27.1bn (£17.3bn) in extra charges and fees last year, according to research by aviation consultancy IdeaWorksCompany. This is almost 20% higher than 2011, and more than double the amount airlines earned from charges in 2009. With fees continuing to rise, this year's total is likely to be even higher.
Bob Atkinson, travel expert at Travelsupermarket.com, says: "Before you book, it's vital to check what additional fees you'll incur – don't assume all airlines are the same, as fees for 'extras' vary widely."
Baggage charges
Airlines have been steadily ratcheting up checked-in baggage charges. Ryanair, one of the worst culprits for extra costs, has raised the charge to check in a 20kg bag into the hold on selected flights to the Canary Islands and Greece from £40 last summer, to £45 between June and September this year. This adds up – a family of four booking return flights to Greece and taking one 20kg bag each would pay £360. If you want to take a 15kg bag to these destinations, the cost has risen from £30 to £35 each way.
Baggage charges to other destinations remain unchanged, but the cheapest fee for checked-in baggage this summer is £25 per bag per flight, or £15 if you fly during low season.
If you fail to check in bags when booking online, and leave it until you reach the airport, you will face a mammoth £140 per 20kg bag per flight if flying to the Canaries or Greece, up from £130 last year. This would set the same family of four back a budget-busting £560 one-way, or £1,120 return.
If you want to avoid steep checked-in baggage costs, you can take one item of cabin baggage free, but this must be no bigger than 55 x 40 x 20cm and cannot weigh more than 10kg.
EasyJet has also increased baggage charges, raising the maximum cost of taking a 20kg suitcase on flights from £18 to £19, making the cost to take a bag to your chosen holiday destination and back as much as £38. These fees apply to longer flights; short-haul destinations start from £8 per bag per flight, depending on the route and season.
From 2 July easyJet is introducing a "guarantee" that you will be able to keep a bag with you in the cabin rather than being obliged to put it into the hold if the cabin lockers are full, provided it measures no more than 50 x 40 x 20cm. However, of 21 cabin suitcases tested by the consumers' association Which?, only three met the smaller size requirements .
You can still choose to take a bag up to the current maximum size of 56 x 45 x 25cm but it may have to go into the hold. If your bag exceeds this size, easyJet will charge you £25 at the check-in, or £40 at the boarding gate.
Travelling with children
Costs on Ryanair flights have also shot up. It will now set you back £30 each way to take a child under two on your lap, up from £20 last summer.
Similarly, Monarch has increased the cost of an infant ticket from £15 to £20 each way.
Caroline Lloyd, travel insurance spokesman at comparison site Gocompare.com, says: "Sometimes the cost of a toddler sitting on your lap can be more than the flight. It is vital for families with children not to simply be lured by the headline price."
Booking and admin fees
The only charges to have fallen are those to book flights by credit card after rules were introduced in April preventing excessive surcharges. For example, Jet2 and Monarch now each charge 2.5% if you book by credit card, down from 3.6% and 4% respectively last year. However, research by Travelsupermarket.com reveals that several providers have raised or introduced booking or administration fees.
Aer Lingus has increased its each-way booking fee of £6 per person to £7, although it no longer charges for credit or debit cards.
EasyJet introduced a £9 flat booking fee last year. This has now risen to £10, which is in addition to its 2.5% charge if you pay by credit card.
Casestudy: Doubling the cost
Sarita Charman, 39, a writer from Corby, Northamptonshire, was shocked to discover that extra charges bumped up the cost of flights to and from Majorca with partner Tim Walvin, 47, and his daughter Elly, 13, by more than £200.
She said: "We used the comparison site Skyscanner.com to find the cheapest flights there and back, but it was when we got to the booking stage that the fun with the extra charges started."
The family booked their outbound flight with Jet2, at an initial cost of £73 per person, or £219 for the three of them. They were then charged £6 each for an online check-in, plus £17 each to take a bag. There was a further £7 per person to book seats together, but they opted for their seats to be automatically allocated.
The basic cost of their return flights with Ryanair was £51.84 per person, so £155.52 for the three of them. However, they paid a further £35 each to take a 20kg bag, as well as an administration fee of £7 per person and an online check-in fee of £7 per person. Only the lowest promotional fares with Ryanair include the online check-in fee .
They were charged an additional £2.50 per person for Ryanair's "EU261" levy, which was introduced to fund compensation for passengers caught up in delays and cancellations, alongside other taxes, charges and fees.
These add-ons increased the total cost of the flights to £394.24. Charman says: "It doesn't take an idiot to work out the extra charges have more than doubled the cost of the fare. I call this nothing short of highway robbery."
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