Post by Fenlander on Jun 2, 2008 9:43:47 GMT 2
Flight Scams - Others
The budget airlines have been a mixed blessing to us air travellers. On the one hand they have pushed prices down and made flights more accessible to the budgetary challenged of us. But, on the other hand, they have introduced new levels of sharp practices, hidden costs and must have extras. A cheap plane ticket advertised on the web, in the newspaper or on Teletext can look tempting but once the booking process starts the price can soon mount up. In this article we look at hidden, optional and added value extras that can push the price of that ‘cheap’ ticket to a sky high price.
So what do you need to look out for?
Priority Boarding
By paying a ‘small optional fee’ you can get to your seat before the rest of the passengers. You’ll be called to board first and can get your gear stowed in the limited overhead lockers and then sit back and relax. Sounds good? Well the problem is that airline staff are so desperate to get the passengers on board and seated to meet their very short turn around time that if you don’t turn up when called you’ll be in the queue with the rest of the passengers. We think priority boarding is a waste of money. So save your money and just lurk around near to the final check in desk if you want to get on first.
Seats Together
Regular travellers with Thomas Cook Airlines will know all about this hidden gem either through experience or by reading the booking small print carefully. On payment of another ‘small optional fee’ you can sit next to your friends and family on the trip rather than a stranger! It’s a sneaky way of pushing up the headline ticket price because most people assume they will have seats together and won’t find out about this scam until they are deep into the on-line booking process. If you don’t pay the extra don’t go complaining to the check-in staff as they already have their excuses lined up – “Sorry, all seats are allocated at the time of booking”.
Meals and Refreshments
The option to have a meal on the flight or save a few quid has been around for some time. But the price of the trolley service can be a bit steep for those who haven’t brought along their own nibbles or sandwiches. So, if you want to save a few quid, make sure you pack enough food for the trip. Most airlines forbid drinking your own alcohol during a flight so if you want a glass of wine with your packed lunch make sure you decant your wine into another container, and make sure if you buy your wine in the duty free shop that you buy wine with a screw top as you won’t be able to take a bottle opener through security. Of course, don’t go getting drunk!
Payment Charges
If you are booking on-line the only way to pay is going to be via a credit or debit card. So why then do the companies make a charge to use either of these cards when there’s no alternative way to pay? Well it’s just another way to add yet another cost to your ticket. So make sure you take these charges into account when comparing flight prices.
It also pays to look carefully at the various charging options. Some companies charge a percentage for using credit cards but a flat fee for using a debit card. In some cases, especially if you’ve found a particularly cheap seat, the percentage for using the credit card will be less than the debit card flat fee.
Ticket Collection at Airport
With more tickets being issued on line this may be a thing of the past but tickets bought over the phone at the last minute can sometimes result in another sneaky charge for collecting your tickets at the airport. So ask before you book if they add such charges and how much they will be.
Leg Room
Some airlines sell the few seats with extra legroom for premium prices. However, we have witnessed on more than one occasion when, due to delays and other incidents, boarding has been a free for Cabin staff have asked people to sit where they like depriving the people who paid for the extra legroom seats to squeeze in elsewhere.
That’s all the ‘added value’ items we have come across to push up the price of your plane seat, but if you know of anymore please let us know.
Safe journey!
The budget airlines have been a mixed blessing to us air travellers. On the one hand they have pushed prices down and made flights more accessible to the budgetary challenged of us. But, on the other hand, they have introduced new levels of sharp practices, hidden costs and must have extras. A cheap plane ticket advertised on the web, in the newspaper or on Teletext can look tempting but once the booking process starts the price can soon mount up. In this article we look at hidden, optional and added value extras that can push the price of that ‘cheap’ ticket to a sky high price.
So what do you need to look out for?
Priority Boarding
By paying a ‘small optional fee’ you can get to your seat before the rest of the passengers. You’ll be called to board first and can get your gear stowed in the limited overhead lockers and then sit back and relax. Sounds good? Well the problem is that airline staff are so desperate to get the passengers on board and seated to meet their very short turn around time that if you don’t turn up when called you’ll be in the queue with the rest of the passengers. We think priority boarding is a waste of money. So save your money and just lurk around near to the final check in desk if you want to get on first.
Seats Together
Regular travellers with Thomas Cook Airlines will know all about this hidden gem either through experience or by reading the booking small print carefully. On payment of another ‘small optional fee’ you can sit next to your friends and family on the trip rather than a stranger! It’s a sneaky way of pushing up the headline ticket price because most people assume they will have seats together and won’t find out about this scam until they are deep into the on-line booking process. If you don’t pay the extra don’t go complaining to the check-in staff as they already have their excuses lined up – “Sorry, all seats are allocated at the time of booking”.
Meals and Refreshments
The option to have a meal on the flight or save a few quid has been around for some time. But the price of the trolley service can be a bit steep for those who haven’t brought along their own nibbles or sandwiches. So, if you want to save a few quid, make sure you pack enough food for the trip. Most airlines forbid drinking your own alcohol during a flight so if you want a glass of wine with your packed lunch make sure you decant your wine into another container, and make sure if you buy your wine in the duty free shop that you buy wine with a screw top as you won’t be able to take a bottle opener through security. Of course, don’t go getting drunk!
Payment Charges
If you are booking on-line the only way to pay is going to be via a credit or debit card. So why then do the companies make a charge to use either of these cards when there’s no alternative way to pay? Well it’s just another way to add yet another cost to your ticket. So make sure you take these charges into account when comparing flight prices.
It also pays to look carefully at the various charging options. Some companies charge a percentage for using credit cards but a flat fee for using a debit card. In some cases, especially if you’ve found a particularly cheap seat, the percentage for using the credit card will be less than the debit card flat fee.
Ticket Collection at Airport
With more tickets being issued on line this may be a thing of the past but tickets bought over the phone at the last minute can sometimes result in another sneaky charge for collecting your tickets at the airport. So ask before you book if they add such charges and how much they will be.
Leg Room
Some airlines sell the few seats with extra legroom for premium prices. However, we have witnessed on more than one occasion when, due to delays and other incidents, boarding has been a free for Cabin staff have asked people to sit where they like depriving the people who paid for the extra legroom seats to squeeze in elsewhere.
That’s all the ‘added value’ items we have come across to push up the price of your plane seat, but if you know of anymore please let us know.
Safe journey!