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For the past 2 years, the Biden-Harris administration has been calling on all agencies to reduce or eliminate hidden fees, charges and add-ons for services that Americans purchase or use on a daily basis. These so-called “junk fees” are everywhere – cable and internet bills, concert, sports and other arena tickets, hospital billing, “no-fee” banking and, of course, hotel rooms and airline tickets.

These hidden fees, which aren’t shown when initial pricing is viewed, are tacked on when billing occurs to confuse, deceive and otherwise take advantage of consumers.

By the spring of 2024, the Biden-Harris administration, focusing on airlines, had announced intended rules to deliver automatic refunds and protect consumers from surprise junk fees in air travel. Government agencies work as quickly as molasses runs in the winter, and, to date, the rules are not in place. With that, airlines are still charging what they want, when they want, for “extra services,” and passengers aren’t made aware of them until the end of the transaction.

NetVoucherCodes: “Some airlines have worse fees than others”

Back in the summer of 2023, a British website called NetVoucherCodes decided to calculate which airlines charge the most added fees when someone wants to buy an airline ticket. The website, which compiles promotional codes for shoppers in the U.K., focused on European airlines and included several U.S.-based airlines in their research.

“To give passengers more clarity, NetVoucherCodes has conducted a thorough analysis of 80 airlines operating in Europe, America and the world, to shed light on these additional costs and help travellers make more informed choices,” is how they put it.

Their methodology

From NetVoucherCodes:

To determine which airlines have the most optional extras, we first created a list of the largest airlines operating in Europe, the USA, and internationally. These airlines formed our sample group.

We then selected a sample short-haul flight for each airline on their respective websites which had the same date, a similar flight route and a similar number of miles travelled.

We examined the hidden fees associated with each airline by moving through the booking process. We noted the costs of additional charges such as seat selection, carry-on baggage, 20kg check-in baggage, fast track (Note from Sharon: UKspeak for, “A way to get on the plane faster”), insurance, and onboard Wi-Fi.

Finally, we calculated the total hidden costs by summing up the additional charges and determined how much the hidden fee is as a percentage of the original fare. We also recorded the number of times airlines attempted to upsell customers.

“Hidden fees” in the study refer to optional add-ons that airlines offer during the booking process. They are not required in order to fly, however, they may offer a more comfortable flight experience.

The U.S. airlines with the worst fees

Note: again, these findings are from about a year ago; summer 2023. They haven’t updated the results to reflect price changes, etc. But it’s still a good insight into the industry as a whole.

1. Spirit Airlines

NetVoucherCodes discovered that Spirit Airlines charged hidden fees that equaled 736% of their $21.89 flight cost. Those fees included:

• $3 for seat selection
• $54 to check a bag
• $29.15 for insurance
• $7.99 for onboard Wi-Fi
• $9.99 for Fast Track
• $56.99 for a carry-on bag

Spirit Airlines not only charges the most hidden fees within the U.S. but in the entire world (the next one was Volaris, out of Mexico. They “only” charge 626%)

2. Frontier Airlines

Frontier’s flight cost was $13.13. However, hidden fees totaled 626% of that flight cost. They included:

• $15 for seat selection
• $65 to check a bag
• $29 for a carry-on bag

3. Sun Country

Sun Country charged $49 for the actual flight. However, they had hidden fees that wound up costing 201% of that price. Their fees included:

• $9 for seat selection
• $31.99 to check a bag
• $17.48 for insurance
• $12 for Fast Track
• $28 for a carry-on bag

4. Delta Air Lines

It’s not surprising that legacy airlines also have more than their share of hidden fees. NetVoucherCode determined that Delta Air Line’s flight price was $55, but their hidden fees equaled $158% of that cost. Those fees were:

• $30 for seat selection
• $30 to check a bag
• $27 for insurance

5. jetBlue Airways

JetBlue’s flight cost was $55; however, their hidden fees were 147% of that price. They included:

• $5.99 for seat selection
• $30 to check a bag
• $15 for Fast Track
• $30 for a carry-on bag

6. United Airlines

Another legacy airline. The price of their flight was $55, but then they tacked on 122% of that price in hidden fees such as:

• $10 for seat selection
• $35 to check a bag
• $14 for insurance
• $8 for onboard Wi-Fi

7. Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air’s flight cost $75. However, 107% of fees were added. They were:

• $1 for seat selection
• $41 to check a bag
• $11.50 for Fast Track
• $27 for a carry-on bag

8. Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines’ flight cost $55. And then they added 105% more in fees, which include:

• $20.01 for seat selection
• $30 to check a bag
• $8 for onboard Wi-Fi

9. American Airlines

Of the 3 legacy airlines, American’s 95% in hidden fees on their $55 flight price was the least. The fees included:

• $12 for seat selection
• $30 to check a bag
• $10 for onboard Wi-Fi

10. Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian’s flight price was $54 before they tacked on 70% more in fees, such as:

• $0 for seat selection
• $25 to check a bag
• $13 for insurance

11. Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines charged the least for fees – only 42% on top of their $55 flight price. They included:

• $8 for onboard Wi-Fi
• $15 for Fast Track

More fun facts about hidden fees

• 89% of airlines charge hidden fees (in the US, 100% of them do. In Europe, 97%. In the rest of the world, only about 74%)
• Airlines charge an average of about $51 in hidden fees. The US charges more, while European airlines tend to charge average. International airlines are lower still, with an average of about $33.27.
• Seat selection is the most common hidden fee. 94% of European airlines charge for them, 87% of US airlines [*cough* soon to be 100%, once Southwest does away with open seating *cough*], and 32% of international airlines.
• Some airlines charge NO hidden fees. They include:
  – Belavia
  – Hainan Airlines
  – Air China
  – China Southern
  – Vietnam Airlines
  – Lion Air
  – Shenzhen Airlines
  – ANA
  – China Eastern Airlines

See how other airlines measured up on this page of NetVoucherCodes’ website.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary