P1D Travel Revolution

Lots of folks visiting family for the holidays this year will find that the cost of air travel these days doesn’t end with the purchase of the plane ticket.

It’s $15 for a checked bag ….. $15 for a seat with extra leg room ….. $2 for curbside check-in….for some airlines, the list of a la carte fees seem endless…..$15-$25 for the first bag you check….and the fees just spiral upwards with the more bags you check….anywhere from $50-$125 for overweight bags…..$100-$175 each for oversized bags…..$3 for a snack….$10 for a sandwich and chips…..$2 for a bottled water….$5-$35 for an exit row seat…..$7 for a blanket and pillow…..Some fees have been around for a few years but as gas prices skyrocketed over the summer, airlines began piling them on. People who cancelled vacations and postponed trips earlier this year in an effort to save money will be in for a shocker when they start flying again for the holidays.The days of complimentary meals and drinks are fast coming to a close, as the airlines now charge for a host of food options that range from the $10 for a “premium sandwich and chip combo” on American Airlines to the $3 trail mix on Delta. Even bottled water and soft drinks don’t come free anymore on US Airways, where it’s $2 a pop.Perhaps the starkest example of the nickle-and-diming is the fees for checked luggage. As rules on the size of carry-ons and restrictions on bringing liquids on board were enforced, passengers felt more pressure to check bags. However, now there are fees for checking them in, as well as penalties of up to $175 for oversize or overweight bags.

Within the past year, carriers also added “fuel surcharges” as oil prices climbed, though the cost of a barrel has gone from a peak of $147 in July to $55 Thursday. The surcharges can easily add more than $100 to a ticket. Even though fuel prices have recently gone down, the airlines are not removing the fuel surcharges.

David Castelveter, a spokesman for Air Transport Association, an industry group, recently said that the low oil prices haven’t much helped the airlines’ bottom line. “The price of fuel has been higher much longer than it has been lower,” said Castelveter. “The U.S. aviation industry will lose between $4 and $6 billion this year.”

However, in the face of sky-high travel costs, the industry’s explanation doesn’t sit well passengers. Kate Hanni, the executive director of the Coalition for an Airline Passenger’s Bill of Rights, recently called added fees “totally deceptive.” She even went as far as saying “It’s a bait and switch.”

Here are some helpful hints in dealing with flight changes and other hassles that can arise during holiday travel this year: