I recently flew on US Airways, the first day it began charging to check a bag. It was a frustrating experience. I had already dumped a lot of money into a ticket and then had to charge an extra $15 on my credit card to simply board the plane.
It seems like more fees are being added each day. Starting Sept. 15,
Northwest Airlines will add a fuel surcharge of between $25 and $100 to all award tickets.
The reason most airlines give for adding all these fees is fuel costs.
The Bureau of Transportation says airlines are already spending nearly 55% more on fuel this year than last.
Delta alone is expected to spend $2 billion dollars more on fuel. Airlines have to make up the difference. So they're cutting flights and adding fees for things that were once free.
Sun Country has yet to start charging many fees. I spoke with Wendy Williams-Blackshaw of Sun Country to find out why. She said the airline looks at all the fees being added by other airlines and will continue to evaluate whether it should follow suit.
"When you talk about a first bag fee, we're talking millions," she said. "For a small airline like Sun Country millions makes a big difference."
I also asked her why airlines don't just bump up ticket prices instead of tacking on all these extra fees. She said, "In this economy price makes a difference. If consumers see one airline charging a dollar more, they will book a ticket with the cheaper airline."
So what do you think? Would you rather pay more for a ticket? Or would you prefer airlines continue adding fees? Add your comments below.
Here are some of the best sites to keep track of these changing fees:
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Airfare watchdog •
Smarter Travel •
Fare Compare •
Kayak
