Don't Let Unexpected Airline Fees Be the Gag Gift of Upcoming Holiday Travel

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Frequent and even occasional travelers are learning they must factor in add-on airline fees when calculating the full all-in cost of air travel. With the busy holiday travel season approaching, Open Allies for Airfare Transparency asked some travelers how they cope:

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For would-be holiday travelers still shopping, remember to factor in:

    --  Baggage fees: Even for those who normally carry-on their luggage, do not
        overlook the potential cost of baggage fees. Holiday travelers carry
        more luggage than normal, often carrying gifts and winter coats that
        fill-up overhead bin space. All travelers should factor in the potential
        cost of checking a bag and paying the baggage fee. Some carriers also
        charge baggage fees for carry-ons. Airlines must post those fees on
        their websites and online travel agencies like Expedia, Orbitz and
        Travelocity must provide links that list the baggage fees of the
        airlines that they sell.

    --  Seat assignment fees: During Thanksgiving week, domestic flights
        averaged 90 percent full and during the upcoming holidays travelers can
        expect the same. Many airlines have increased the number of "preferred"
        seats - seats toward the front of the plane, window and aisle seats -
        that are only available for an additional fee. This can create
        difficulties for families, particularly those with young children, who
        need to sit together on flights. To avoid this, be prepared to pay
        preferred seat fees in order to obtain contiguous seats.

For those who have already booked holiday travel:

    --  Make sure to get seat assignments ahead of time. Selecting seats online
        and printing boarding passes ahead of time will help avoid long check-in
        lines and fees for printing boarding passes at the airport. It is likely
        that guaranteeing seats together on very full holiday flights may
        require some combination of free and "preferred" seats with extra
        charges. Airlines typically open up the seat assignment map as the
        departure date approaches, but by then, there may be even fewer options.

    --  Check baggage fee information, and measure and weigh your bags. The FAA
        limits all passengers to one carry-on and a personal item such as a
        purse or backpack. But keep in mind that very full flights may result in
        even less room for carry-ons. Checked bags that exceed weight limits by
        even a few pounds may incur even higher fees.

"While savvy consumers are comparison shopping online for the "all-in" cost of their air travel, they are still calling for additional transparency and disclosure," said David Kelly, Executive Director, Open Allies. "Unfortunately, airlines' continued refusal to share core fee information -- in a simple to use and purchasable format -- with online travel sites and travel agents is leading to unnecessary confusion, complexity, and wasted time as consumers track down fee information for each airline. There is simply no reason this fee information shouldn't be presented all on one screen. That's why the best gift the Department of Transportation can give to the traveling public is adoption of a new rule requiring the airlines to share fee information in a purchasable format in all the channels through which they sell their airfares."

Open Allies for Airfare Transparency is a coalition of nearly 400 independent distributors and sellers of air travel, corporate travel departments, travel trade associations and consumer organizations that believe air travelers should be able to see, compare and buy the complete air travel product. That is, that all airline fares and fees should be transparent to, and purchasable by, the traveling public, enabling consumers to comparison shop for their fares on an "all-in" (fares+taxes+fees) "apples-to-apples" basis across airlines.

Web: faretransparency.org
Twitter: @openairfare
Facebook: facebook.com/openallies

SOURCE Open Allies for Airfare Transparency