Airlines: fee-crazy?

"When a United flight hit severe turbulence over Kansas recently, injuring dozens of people, comedian Jay Leno joked that attendants only gave first aid to passengers who paid a US$7.50 “triage fee.”

A morbid joke, of course, but it reflects the popular view that airline fees are out of control,

“Even the government is concerned about the fee frenzy, which generated nearly US$8 billion for American carriers last year,” writes Susan Stellin in The New York Times.

The US government is looking at legislation to curb the fees.

The question behind the fees is which are fair: some such as luggage fees can be avoided. But then Spirit Airlines began charging for carry-on bags this month.

Change fees are also popular for the airlines but Southwest says it will never charge to change a ticket.

“Here’s my problem with these fees: they’re completely one-sided in favor of the airlines,” writes Stellin.

Some airlines charge up to $250 to change an international flight. And these are just service fees; you also have to pay any difference between your original fare and the new ticket price.

The galling thing is that the airlines reserve the right to cancel or change flights themselves, without penalty, say critics. And the increase is out of proportion to what it costs an airline to rebook, now that everything is handled electronically: Five years ago, fees were $20-$100 for a domestic flight.

If airlines displayed clear disclosures about rules and fees, they might be justified, Stellin says. But web sites have glitches and often make fee information difficult to find.

“Having a bunch of unbundled fees and add-ons make it more complicated for people to compare apples to apples,” said Rick Seaney, FareCompare’s chief executive.

And the latest fee to be joked about is taken seriously by some: it’s the American Airlines $75 discount fee for flight changes that will cost passengers up to $19. It’s a fee to possibly reduce your fees.

No joking matter.

By David Wilkening"

source: Travel Mole August 12, 2010