Airport News
Budget travellers warned of hidden costs
Wed, 21 May, 2008
Travellers flying with budget airlines this summer are being warned to brace themselves for hidden charges.
Aviation consultancy Ascend warned that airlines have passed the rising fuel costs onto their customers.
As such, passengers now face additional charges for baggage, booking online, check-in, using credit cards and enjoying in-flight refreshments.
Peter Morris, chief economist at Ascend, said: "The thing that matters for the customer ... is the final price that someone is going to pay."
"The comparison [with larger airlines] is really not just the original ticket price but the final fare that they pay including all the charges for baggage or handling or whatever the airline dreams up to put on there."
Ryanair announced in April that it was increasing check-in charges per passenger from £3 to £4 and per bag from £6 to £8.
The budget airline also aims to increase check-in volumes by ten per cent.