Consumer champion Martyn James explains why your cheap flight can suddenly become very expensive
Whenever Winter comes around, people rush to book holidays somewhere warmer and less… well… grim!
January and February are traditionally one of the peak times for booking a trip abroad. Many airlines and holiday companies are running sales and discounts too, though flights are increasing in price.
We tend to book holidays in moments of excitable spontaneity. Even the more cautious may carefully pick the best time to travel and the ideal location, then rush the last part when it comes to booking the actual holiday.
But the fact of the matter is it’s near impossible to tell if you are getting a bargain when it comes to finding a reasonably priced flight.
That’s because many airlines offer artificially low prices for the flights advertised online or on comparison sites. But by the time you finally hit the checkout, the cost of your flight may have increased dramatically – sometimes two or even three times more – when you are forced to pay extra for ‘essentials’.
So what do you need to watch out for? Here’s my guide.
How add-on costs increase your flight costs
Airlines are the masters of the hidden charges. For decades now, the firms behind the flights have been monetising every part of the booking process.
First the low-cost airlines, but increasingly the established brands and luxury carriers have got on board with unfair charges too.
It’s now standard to pay extra for hold bags, cabin bags and reserving a seat. You can also pay extra for speedy boarding, queue jumps at security and, of course, premium seating.
However, it’s virtually impossible to tell what costs you could actually expect without going through the booking process.
That’s because airlines often have pricing structures that are so complex and mysterious you have no way of knowing what you will be charged.
EasyJet have just been warned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over claims that their cabin baggage charges started from £5.99. When asked to substantiate this, the firm failed to do so.
Which? investigated and found from their sampling that the cheapest cabin bag available was £23.49. I’ve never encountered one for less than £30, despite flights being booked over six months in advance.
It’s worth noting that EasyJet were penalised for advertising prices that were either exceptionally rare or – as some have alleged – didn’t exist at all. But many other airlines claim their add-on fees start from low sums but in reality, prices are much higher.
Why is this? Well, many airlines now have ‘tiered pricing’ which increases the closer you get to your take off time. Others reputedly have ‘surge pricing’ where prices change depending on demand.
In the EasyJet case, the airline stated that the £5.99 price was an accurate price on several routes, which suggest that cheaper deals are not available on other (presumably popular) routes.
The CAA has a list of the airline add-on prices here, but take them with a pinch of salt. I’ve never encountered anyone who received the lowest price quoted for luggage.
So how much extra will you pay for essential add-on charges? By my calculations, the average prices hover around:
- £40 to £50 if you want to take a 23kg hold bag one way.
- £30 to £50 for an overhead cabin bag (this has almost doubled since last year – it might be cheaper to share a hold bag for two people).
- £6 to £25 for the most basic seat reservation
That’s £76 to £125 each way or £152 to £250 for a return.
In short: when you are comparing airline prices, don’t go for the cheapest option. If fees aren’t included, add on at least £80 each way, per person.
Some of the mid-range airlines have great deals if you know where to look. You’ll see ‘basic, premium and business/first class’ packages. The middle option usually includes bags and a seat reservation, making it easier to price up your flights.
Carry on carnage
If you’ve taken a flight recently then you may have noticed a bit of a kerfuffle at the boarding gates.
It’s been reported that Ryanair has been paying bonuses to staff for every oversize cabin bag they spot – and are considering increasing this incentive. Meanwhile, other airlines are allegedly paying £1.20 to airline staff who do the same.
So why this sudden crackdown on passengers and their carry-on luggage? And what are the rules?
Airlines all have specific rules around the size of your cabin bag (the bigger one) and your hand luggage (the smaller one). Despite what it may say on your suitcase, there is no definitive size for cabin bags, though as a general rule the standard is 56 x 45 x 25cm for the cabin bag and 40cm x 30cm x 15cm for an under-seat (hand)bag. There are also weight restrictions too, with most cabin bags limited to a maximum of 7kg to 10kg.
Standard sizes are all well and good, but airlines can set their own, more restrictive rules around the size of both types of carry-on luggage. So before you travel, it’s vital that you understand their rules – and the consequences of not meeting them.
You’ll need to measure the height, depth and width of your carry-on bags. Missing off the wheels when you check the height is one of the more common mistakes.
But the biggie is over-stuffed bags. Having a bag that meets the criteria when empty doesn’t mean it does when you’ve jammed it full of holiday items. Remember that the bag must fit in to that metal box at the boarding gates if you want to get on your flight without paying extra.
While this is ruthless, it’s important to introduce a bit of balance here. I’ve seen some blatant breaches of the cabin bag rules over the years. This blocking up of the overhead lockers leads to long queues and frustration at the boarding gates while some people are made to put carry-on luggage in the old.
There are safety concerns too. The way airlines work out the weight of their passengers and luggage and distribute it to ensure your flight remains aerodynamic is a delicate art.
Having said that, in recent years rising hold luggage costs forced passengers to abandon big bags completely, choosing to travel relatively lightly.
This has led to endless problems fitting all the carry-on luggage in to the lockers. This has, in turn, led to the current situation where our non-compliant cabin bags are being strictly policed.
The law of unintended consequences is likely to continue too as the EU mulls banning cabin bag charges. But, of course, that means we’ll all pay more. Just in other ways.
- Martyn James is a leading consumer rights campaigner, TV and radio broadcaster and journalist
