Airline fees are a controversial topic these days, so we look a look at the fees that airlines were charging and picked the top 3 most and least “fee crazy” airlines. Avoiding fees is hard, so why not try to avoid the airlines that charge them instead?
Most Fee Crazy Airlines:
- U.S. Airways: Not only does U.S. Airways have the distinction of being the only US airline to charge for water, they were also the first to discontinue free snacks. They’ve also decided to do away with in-flight entertainment. So what will you think about while you’re bored, hungry and thirsty? How about that $15 first checked bag fee, the $25 second checked bag fee, the $5-30$ fee to choose your favorite economy class seat, and the whopping $250 fee you paid to change your ticket. Oh, yeah, and remember when they made everyone crazy by charging a $5 fee to book a ticket… with their own website?
- United Airlines: United is following U.S. Airways lead with a combination of cutting amenities and introducing fees. They’ve done away with snacks and are selling “snack boxes.” Soon, United will be raising the prices for these items and economy class passengers will be expected to pay $9 for a sandwich. While you’re munching on that overpriced nonsense, you can add up the following fees: $15 to check your first bag, $25 for the second bag, and $125 for the third. Then there’s the $25 you paid to book your ticket over the phone, the $125 you paid for the privilege of traveling with your pet in the cabin, and of course, the $349 per year that you pay to be able to “stretch out and relax in comfort in seats located at the front of the Economy section,”..”if available.”
- (tie) Delta Airlines & American Airlines: American was the first airline to charge for the 1st checked bag, and Delta has managed to resist that fee — but Delta’s other fees are just so darn expensive that we had to call this one a tie. Ultimately, it costs more to check two bags with Delta than it does with U.S. Airways, United, or American. American currently charges $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second, and from $3-6 for snacks. Delta charges nothing for the first checked bag, but if you’re thinking of checking two bags, get ready to pay $50 for the second bag, and $125 for the third bag. Ouch! Delta’s snacks are complimentary, but they charge from $1-10 more for certain special items.
Least Fee Crazy Airlines:
- Southwest Airlines: Southwest is the only major airline that isn’t charging a fee to check two bags, and the third checked bag will only cost you $25. There is also no fee to change your ticket. Instead, you’ll get a flight credit that is good for one year. They don’t charge a fee to book over the phone or in person, and they don’t charge a fee for an unaccompanied minor.
- AirTran: AirTran has fees but they’re lower than a lot of its competitors. For example, the 2nd checked bag is $10 and the third is $50. The ticket change fee is $75, and unaccompanied minors will only cost you $39, as opposed to $100 on Delta, United, etc. You will pay $6 for an advanced seat assignment and $20 to sit in an exit row.
- JetBlue: JetBlue keeps threatening to go over to the dark side with new charges for things that used to be free (headsets $1, blankets and pillows $7) but they still have some of the more reasonable fees in the industry. There is no charge for the first checked back, and the second bag will cost you $20. Changing your ticket will cost you $100, and expect to pay from $10-20 more for their mini-business class “extra legroom” seats. Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages are plentiful and free, however. Love those blue potato chips.
If you’re looking for an easy way to compare fees, check out this excellent PDF from the folks at SmarterTravel.com, Airfarewatchdog.com, and SeatGuru.com.
(Photo: Jenna Belle )
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I love TAM <3
Flying to Brazil/Argentina is a pleasure!
Allegiant Air charges for water too and for the first checked bag, but they do have nice seat/leg room.
I purchased a US Airlines roundtrip ticket back in February for a March flight from MEM to LAX. I ended up moving in that short time so I had to cancel my ticket and was given full credit for it ($268). A few weeks ago I decided to use my credit because it expires after a year (flying to my wedding). My new ticket costs $195. Easy, right? I should still have $73 dollars left. No. US Airlines charges two fees, one of $100 and one of $30 to rebook. They tell me my ticket would cost $130. Well, what about my extra $73? US Airlines eats it up. The credit is a one time use only, and you can’t apply the extra credit to pay for “fees.” Oh really? That’s crap. I argued, but the best they could do is drop the $30 dollar charge. So, in essence, a one way ticket from JAX to MEM now ultimately costs me $368. I am NEVER going to fly US Airlines again. To top it off, I’m going to be providing excellent service to US Airlines for the rest of my working life because I’m an air traffic controller.
Southwest definitely has become a niche market operator. Aside from their convenience, they’re generally all-around happy individuals. This is what happens when you have excellent corporate culture. Any company would do well to emulate them.
@parapraxis — massive profit? ?? ??? ?????
I don’t see the big deal about the fees. They’re a smart way to raise revenue without raising the price of the flight itself. The fees have turned out to be a public relations nightmare and media feeding frenzy because the news stations can’t bear to report anything intelligent. i’m just annoyed at this whole situation. these companies are tanking and learning why would produce a discussion that’s far more interesting than this.
@PeteyNice I fly in an out of Phoenix three times a month, and it’s more crowded than Midway airport in Chicago. ASU has a 60% out of state student population, and almost everyone I know flies Southwest when they come back to school. Also, ever heard of Scottsdale? Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the country.
your welcome for me sending this PDF to you this weekend Consumerist!
US Airways has a feature that keeps me flying on them no matter how badly they treat me: a direct flight from Seattle to Charlotte. At Christmastime when I’m flying to see the folks, that is a huge win. So I generally fly them elsewhere as well to keep all my miles on one airline. (Exception is when I fly on the west coast, where I use Alaska.)
Also, US Airways used to have affinity credit cards through two different banks, and if you signed up for both you got 40,000 bonus miles for the price of one card’s annual fee, or about $95. That was a killer deal. Maybe that’s why they have to charge for luggage now.
The reason southwest remains the best is because they don’t use the hub-and-spoke method that most other airlines use.
That method is great for shipping cargo and mail, not so great for moving people.
a friends family saved a lot flying out of billy mitchel in milwakee wi. they took the blue line L to o’hare and the shuttle bus around the corner fron the L to milwakee. he said the bus ride was shorted than the last time it took to get through security at o’hare.
Yup, makes sense to me. I do all of the travel arrangements for my company and unless they absolutely won’t work for the schedule, I always use Southwest or JetBlue. Easiest to book, fewest stupid fees, and usually the best fares (especially Southwest on short flights). Sometimes we use Virgin America too which is also pretty good, though very limited in where it flies in and out of.
United drives me crazy. $150 just to change one leg of a return flight to a flight an hour later..seriously? LAME.