Among the route-specific findings in the Consumer Travel Alliance’s study were:
● New York-Los Angeles: A traveler requesting extra legroom and checking a single bag would have to pay an average of 18 per cent in hidden fees over the base price of the ticket; and the same traveler checking two bags would have to pay an average of 36 per cent in hidden fees over the base price of the ticket;
● Boston-Washington: A traveler requesting extra legroom and checking a single bag would have to pay an average of 42 per cent in hidden fees over the base price of the ticket; and the same traveler checking two bags would have to pay an average of 101 per cent in hidden fees over the base price of the ticket;
● Chicago-Miami: A traveler requesting extra legroom and checking a single bag would have to pay an average of 26 per cent in hidden fees over the base price of the ticket; and the same traveler checking two bags would have to pay an average of 48 per cent in hidden fees over the base price of the ticket; and
● Washington-Orlando: A traveler requesting extra legroom and checking a single bag would have to pay an average of 32 per cent in hidden fees over the base price of the ticket; and the same traveler checking two bags would have to pay an average of 66 per cent in hidden fees over the base price of the ticket.
Citing these results, the Consumer Travel Alliance called on Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation to take swift action to ensure that all ancillary airline fees are fully disclosed to travelers through every distribution channel, so the total cost of air travel can be compared between carriers.
“Booking air travel today can be like shopping with a blindfold on,” says Leocha. “Without price transparency, air travelers have no way to find or compare the real and final cost of their tickets. Airlines stripping out those fees for baggage, extra legroom, and other options are deceiving and confusing passengers about the true cost of air travel. It is imperative that Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation take action to ensure that travelers have access to the complete information they need to make informed decisions about these important travel expenses.”
The analysis was conducted in early July 2010 on four popular travel itineraries: New York JFK-Los Angeles, Boston-Washington (airport not specified), Chicago O’Hare- Miami and Washington-Orlando. Dates used for the analysis were October 21 to October 25, 2010. The study used the lowest publicly available prices for a round-trip, non-stop ticket on any of the nine major U.S. airlines that offered a non-stop route for the travel itineraries in the study: AirTran, Alaska, American, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, United, US Airways, and Virgin America. (Not every airline offered non-stop service on every route.) Data were gathered via a major online travel website and calculations were based on the base fare offered by the airline, not including additional taxes and airport fees.
Information on ancillary fees was gathered via the airline websites, SmarterTravel.com, and individual traveler or media accounts when the airlines did not make the information publicly available. Only ancillary fees associated with checked baggage and additional legroom were included in the analysis. Not all airlines currently offer additional legroom options. Other ancillary fees currently offered by the airlines, including seat reservations, pillows/blankets, drinks, unaccompanied minors, lounge access, pets, priority boarding, upgrades, and additional loyalty program miles, were not included in the analysis.
The Consumer Travel Alliance (CTA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that aims to give consumers an articulate and reasoned voice in decisions that affect travel consumers across the travel spectrum. CTA was founded by longtime travel journalists Charles Leocha and Christopher Elliott. For more information, visit consumertravelalliance.org.
Related to this story:
- Gogo Study Finds In-Flight Wi-Fi is Influencing U.S. Travelers’ Airline Choices
- DOT Wants More Disclosure from U.S. Airlines on Fees, Baggage and Wheelchairs
- Analysis Finds U.S. Airlines Don’t Disclose Most Fees on Their Websites
- Alaska, Horizon Reduce Most Service Fees but Nearly Kill Free Standby
- U.S. Leisure Travelers Focus on History and Tradition, Study Finds
Pages: 1 2
