Airfare fees

[LuvOrlando]

So DH gave me the go ahead to book our next trip to WDW. SO YAY! But I've been checking the airline's fares and am stunned to see the prices once you add in all the fees etc. I mean, having to pay for every single bag is ridiculous AND the fees, not including luggage, for my family of 4 amount to almost $200 and this really bothers me. I mean it bugs me so much that I am finding myself thinking I would rather not go then plunk down $250 + in fees. So am I weird or is this getting under the skin of other people too?

 

[peyjax]

Yes the airline fees bug me badly however it will not keep me from flying. My dh just told me to order carryons for everyone in the family. Everything has to fit in there and we are only going to check one bag. It definatly has me packing differently.

 

[wdwmom2]

Do you live near an airport serviced by South West? $0 baggage fees for 2 checked pieces per person.

ETA: Just checked SW. I could leave January 10, return January 17. It would cost a family of four $656.80, that includes the $31.18 in fees. Each person gets 2 checked bags free!!!

 

[Longsx3]

I chose no because it does not stop me from flying. I do figure in the cost of baggage into the ticket cost when comparing to SWA and I also pack smarter now so I only have one bag and put heavier items in my carry on.

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

Instead of looking at the fees, I look at the total price. Yes, the fees do add up, but I look at things like the baggage fees as possible ways to save money. You've always had to pay for your baggage - these fees were just 'hidden' charges added into the base price of the flight. Now you can 'opt out' if you choose.

Overall, I still think people living in the US have a pretty skewed view on the costs of air travel. There are few places in the world where you can fly at the prices Americans have come to expect (ding, anyone?!)

 

[KristaTX]

We basically are paying the same thing for airfare to Orlando as we were 10 years ago. I won't complain, but to me it doesn't really make sense that fares haven't gone up much. However. . .

The only thing that bugs me is that now everyone tries to bring the kitchen sink onto the plane. My husband recently took a small wheeled carry-on suitcase on a short trip. On the way home, he tried to fit it into an overhead bin. When it wouldn't fit and there were no more spaces left for it, they took it from him and put it down with the checked luggage. In all the confusion, he ended up losing a nice jacket .

It seems to me that each passenger should have an allotted amount of space, which must mean that some greedy people on his flight had been allowed to bring on more than their fair share , or at least that they were not forced to put some of it under the seat in front of them. I wish they'd do some sort of locker-type system so that your storage space is assigned to your particular seat. And if not that, then make a rule that your "personal" item must go under the seat in front of you and not up above with everyone's luggage.

 

[Jennasis]

Holy moses! I haven't flown in a whle and have a flight in two weeks to NY to visit family. I'm flying US Airays and didn't realize it's $25 to bring one lousy bag! Looks like I'm cramming everything into a carry on a packing light. Luckily it's just a weekend trip.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I've never flown Southwest, I'm going to take a look at Philly.

 

[Aisling]

I agree that the fees are adding up to be a pain in the wallet. But, I rationalize that the airlines have to pay for outrageous fuel prices and higher govt taxes. So many airlines have been in financial trouble that they have to pass the expense on to us travelers. I hate it, but I'm not surprised.

When I get lucky and find a $69 fare each way on Jetblue, after I jup for joy, I wonder how they can afford to charge so little in this day and age. My mother's bus fare to meet us in Orlando (she's afraid of flying)cost more than my airfare!

The fees don't stop me from flying, but it does hurt the budget. I really have to plan more carefully, check fares every day, and cut out other expenses to afford the airfare for my family.

I just paid almost $600 for my son to go to Orlando Christmas week to visit his girlfriend, and it cost more than I paid to go from NYC to London and back last Easter week. Go figure!

 

[Piecey]

I've never flown Southwest, I'm going to take a look at Philly.

Definitely check into them.

I love Southwest!


We usually always fly with them but this time we're going AirTran. ONLY because the fly out of an airport about an hour from home that is much smaller and the added convenience of checking bags at the resort in WDW. I wanted as little hassle at the airport as possible on the first trip with my son!!

 

[minniecarousel]

I think fees for checked bags just results in people bringing too much onto planes as carry-ons.

 

[amyup]

I think fees for checked bags just results in people bringing too much onto planes as carry-ons.

Completely agree!! Its a real pain in the butt now. We're taking the kids to Hawaii over spring break and I'm really thinking about having each kid bring a carryon instead of shelling out at least $100 each way. I would much rather check the bag and not worry about it but hey I'm cheap

 

[SnootyBear]

The baggage fees went into affect when the price of gas/oil was so high, it was a way for airlines to compensate for the higher fuel costs, without gouging people too hard on higher airfares. Also, in 2007 3 airlines filed bankruptcy within a month, 2 of the 3 ceased to exist which threw the airline industry for a loop too.

Ill throw my vote in for SWA, go to their website and download ding.com and enter your home city, along with any places you fly to... you can add up to 10 destination cities. When they have unadvertised deals, you can get tickets for some good prices.

From Nashville to Orlando was 49 each way last week, and the tax made it around $57 each way. Unfortunately they are only booking through March right now, or I would have been all over them!

 

[maelstrom]

We just had to pay $15 per checked bag on Continental. Sure, it's annoying to be nickel-and-dimed like that, but it's kind of a necessary evil. We live in New York and were going to Arizona. Sure, you can drive that, but it'd take a week and be grueling. I'm not a fan of the TSA security theatre either, but if I want to go anywhere that isn't in easy driving distance, planes are necessary. Sometimes we still do the 20 hour drive to Disney World to avoid the airplanes, but that wasn't really a possibility with Arizona.

 

[MIGrandma]

I think it's ridiculous they are charging so many "fees". DH and I usually take a winter trip, and this year I think we will be driving instead of flying.

 

[DaisyLynn]

Like pp have said, I also figure in the baggage fees with the price of the ticket.

Having said that...I have not flown any airline other than JetBlue in the past three years or so. No fee for first checked bag, DirectTV, Dunkin Donuts coffee and most importantly, the best customer service that I've experienced out of the many airlines I've flown. Also, they will give you credit for a future flight if the price of your ticket goes down after purchase. Right now we have $250 in credit that we'll use this spring, which is okay with me.

 

[Free4Life11]

Many airlines are also adding a holiday fee of something like $10 if you fly on certain dates around the holidays.