Complete List of New Airline Charges for Domestic Flights
 Check-in CounterWith the travel season in full swing, well-informed
travelers have a hard time finding the best deals amidst the new
charges
Airlines have invented. Instead of comparing ticket prices, travelers
should
calculate the total cost of the flight, including baggage charges,
food,
drinks, entertainment and many more fees that Airlines have come up
with in an
attempt to disguise the true ticket price. In this article, we reveal
additional fees to help you calculate the true cost of your trip.
We will also include some advice on how you can minimize those charges. Checked LuggageOverweight charges are not included in this list. Comparison Table for Luggage checked with US carriers:
All airlines allow you to take a small suitcase and a personal item with you as carry-on luggage (into the cabin). A personal item can be a laptop bag or a backpack. Although most airlines officially have size limits on those, I have found that airline employees rarely check if the bags appear to be within reasonable limits (a student backpack and a small suitcase). When you go bag shopping, just ask a store clerk if you are not sure. Food and Drinks
|
|
Airlines |
Food |
Drinks |
|
American Airlines |
$3 Snacks, $6 Sandwich |
Sodas, Juices, Coffee, Tea - Compl.// Alcoholic Bev. - $$ |
|
Southwest Airlines |
Compl. Snacks, No Sandwiches/ Meals |
Sodas, Juices, Coffee, Tea - Compl.// Alcoholic Bev. - $4 |
|
Northwest Airlines |
$3 Snacks, $10 Sandwiches |
Non-Alcoholic Bev. - Compl. |
|
Delta Air Lines |
Compl. Snacks, Meals $6-10 |
Non-Alcoholic Bev. - Compl. |
|
United Airlines |
Compl. Snacks, $5 Snackbox, $7 Meals |
Non-Alcoholic Bev. - Compl. |
|
Continental Airlines |
Compl. Meals on Flights longer than 3 hours |
Non-Alcoholic Bev. - Compl.// Alcoholic Bev. - $5 |
|
US Airways |
Snack Box $5, Meals $7 |
Non-Alcoholic Bev. $2, Coffee, Tea $1, Alcoholic Bev. $7 |
|
JetBlue Airways |
Compl. Snacks |
Non-Alcoholic Bev. - Compl., Specialty Drinks $3-5 |
|
Frontier Airlines |
$3 Snacks, Meals $6-7 |
Non-Alcoholic Bev. - Compl., Alcoholic Bev. - $6 |
|
Virgin America |
Food offered for $$ |
Non-Alcoholic Bev. - Compl. |
|
Alaska Airlines |
Snack Packs $5 |
Non-Alcoholic Bev. - Compl., Specialty Drinks - $3, Alcoholic Bev. - $5 |
The times where you can indulge in free food and drinks are long gone, but if I have to pay for my meals, I expect something better.
Although you cannot bring liquids through security, buying your water in the airport stores is still cheaper, provided they are open. If you were trying to save money by taking an overnight flight, the stores may be closed and you are stuck with the airline charges.
You can bring food through security and I would not hesitate to do so. If anyone gives you trouble, tell them you are diabetic and you might suffer an insulin shock if you do not have your food (in my case this may one day be true).
Entertainment, Headsets, Pillows and all other charges
image by satosphere
Comparison Table for all other charges with US carriers:
|
Airlines |
Entertainment |
Pillow/ Blanket |
|
American Airlines |
Headsets $2 |
|
|
Southwest Airlines |
No Info re headsets |
|
|
Northwest Airlines |
No Info re headsets |
|
|
Delta Air Lines |
Wi-Fi middle of 2009, $9.95, 3hrs or less flight, $12.95, flight longer than 3 hrs |
|
|
United Airlines |
Compl. Headsets |
|
|
Continental Airlines |
Headsets $1 |
|
|
US Airways |
Headsets $5 |
|
|
JetBlue Airways |
No Info re headsets |
$7 Pillow and Blanket (includes $5 Coupon for Bed, Bath & Beyond) |
|
Frontier Airlines |
Conventional Headsets work |
|
|
Virgin America |
No Info re headsets |
|
|
Alaska Airlines |
Plans to offer Wi-Fi for $$ |
|
Paying for headsets is not really a big deal breaker for me, since I prefer my own headsets. Since cleanliness also suffered during the past years, I also prefer to bring my own inflatable pillow.
You can get airline headphone adapters in most electronics stores. Buy them ahead of time. The stores in the airport pay hefty fees to the airport operators. Those fees are reflected in their prices.
I like the Delta and Alaska way to offer Wi-Fi. Even though I may not be willing to pay for this, they are seeking out new intelligent ways to boost revenue by offering more service instead of simply introducing new hidden charges.
Conclusion
I wonder when we will have to pay for the luxury of having an oxygen mask available or a live-vest/ floatation device.
I wish there was a federal regulation that would force airlines to reflect all charges in the ticket price. Until this happens, we are devoted to keep this list up-to-date and we ask you to help us.
If you discover a new charge, please let us know so that we can update this list. Simply email us through the contact form or sign up for a user account and post a reply to this article. We will work it into the article.
We created this list to the best of our knowledge, based on personal experience and reports we have received. We do not guarantee its completeness or correctness, nor do we accept any claims based on this list. We promise to do our best to keep up with the constant changes introduced by the Airlines. If you are aware of any changes, please let us know.
This article was a collaboration effort of:
Dani (Trip Galleries)
and me (My Travel Photos)
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American Airlines joins the ranks of airlines offering internet. They are going to start it on routes connecting New York with San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami. The charge will be $12.95 per flight.
United is soon going to charge up to $9 for snacks. No more free snacks.
United will also drop their complimentary business class meals except for some fligts from San Francisco or L.A. to New York.
Wow, that was a ton of work putting that together, and exactly the sort of thing airlines don't want people to do. By taking things we used to get in the base fare and turning them into fees and extras, it's now very difficult to comparison shop for flights. So, what appears to be the lowest fare might not really be.
I think the first place that does a reasonable job of taking something like your grid, and applying it to a live, dynamic shopping comparison will become very popular.
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Lower bills