PROPERTY SEARCH
These are the 7 airlines with the most hidden fees
Flying from the UK to Spain could cost an additional 250 euros on one of these airlines
With the price of jet fuel on the rise, the days of budget travel are long behind us and travellers are forking out more than ever for flights to their favourite destinations. So the last thing we need is to be stung by heaps of hidden extras that many airlines like to tack on, be it for oversized luggage or checking in late.
Granted, most people now know the basics and can avoid any nasty surprises, but those who fall foul of the rules could end up forking out almost 250 euros in additional charges.
Financial news site TradingPedia recently took a look at seven of the top airlines favoured by UK tourists travelling to Spain, Portugal and other European hotspots and compared the hidden fees. The airlines chosen were Ryanair, Wizz Air, easyJet, British Airways, Vueling, Norwegian Air and Jet2 and the research examined factors like checked and carry-on luggage, online booking and airport check-in.
When everything was taken into consideration (fees for checked baggage, carry-on baggage, seat selection, online booking, airport check-in and rescue fees), Ryanair came off the worst, potentially charging customers an additional 248 euros.
Next in line was Vueling, coming in at 238 euros, followed by WizzAir (219 euros), easyJet (206 euros), British Airways (79 euros), Norwegian Air (77 euros) and Jet 2 (74 euros).
"To be fair, fees are not exactly hidden on the websites of the airlines – they are fully disclosed on each screen while you are making an online booking," Michael Fisher from TradingPedia explained.
"However, they are not added to the final cost of the fare in advertisements and special offers, and do not become clear until the actual process of booking the flight is completed."
In many cases, passengers have no choice but to pay for ‘optional’ extras, such as WizzAir’s group booking admin fee, Mr Fisher added. In a similar way, WizzAir, easyJet and Ryanair all charge fees, ranging from 22 euros to 32 euros, for passengers travelling with a baby less than two years old.
Image: Freepik
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