Airline Charges Rip Off Discussion

A question about : Airline Charges Rip Off Discussion

05 August 09

The Budget Airline Charges Quiz...

How much could a Ј1 each way flight cost?

Budget airlines' supposed 'extra' charges are nearly obscene. This week we've a new guide (see below) to beat them, inc anonymous tips from an Easyjet air steward. To prove the point...

Quick Quiz. How much could a Ј1 flight cost?

A family of three get Ryanair Ј1 each way return tickets to Europe. If they were to pay on a debit card, take a suitcase each (not pre-booked) and need to get boarding cards at the airport, guesstimate the total 'additional' charges.

THE ANSWER IS IN THE BLANK SPACE BELOW

Spoiler (highlight below to view):

The answer...

The actual total is a shocking Ј396, that's Ј6 return for flights and Ј390 for 'added-extras'. This includes Ј10 return each for debit card payment (Ј30 total), Ј40 return (Ј120) per suitcase, and forget to pre-print your boarding card it's Ј80 return (Ј240).

The system's a farce...

Airlines are playing fast and loose. While the example above is extreme, the injustice isn't about the cost, but that some charges which are practically compulstory are excluded from the headlined price. How can checking-in or 'paying by card' be an 'added' extra when it's unavoidable.

It's time for legislation legislation that the advertised price MUST include paying and online check-in; other main extras like baggage should be listed alongside in the same font.

NOTE: This thread is to discuss the charges and how they're advertised.

For a full guide on avoiding charges see the Beat airline charges guide.
For a full discussion on avoiding charges see the Beat airline charges discussion.

Update From Martin 5 August 2009

Just a few words in response to the discussion below - some of which supports this viewpoint, others don't.

The communication of the extras by budget airlines is inappropriate and must be changed. Its interesting to read the reaction here - and makes me smile to an extent. In the past we've had a few berating posts for calling Ryanair Ј1 flights a pound (even though we always explained there are extras) - here there's a few saying the opposite.

I make no apology for calling for payment and checking in to be inclusive costs. It's interesting to note the main posts objecting to this stance are early in the thread, before the weekly email was sent. They tend to come from regular users of the board, who I would assume are mostly seasoned travellers and MoneySavers.

Yet for me this misses the point, clearly those who know what they're doing will be fine. The same can be said in many walks of life. Yet read down some of the comments - clearly others do find it difficult and we are constantly contacted by people heavily caught out by these.

For me saying its beatable if you jump through all the hurdles and no what you're doing is no justification for the way these charges are advertised and presented.

The airlines deliberate use of the electron card to claim paying is free is a farce, its a deliberate gemming of the system to enable them to headline cheaper prices.

Of course there are ways round it - and indeed that's what the entire new guide that prompted this note is about. Yet the above is important, it highlights what can happen if things aren't done exactly right, to ensure people know how careful they need be. Though i've taken on board some comments and tweaked the phrasing slightly.

The fact one airline charges Ј10 no matter how you pay and airline charges every time you check in online (barring Ј1 sales) yet these don't form part of the advertised price - doesn't seem right to me. It's inconsisentent, confusing, unfair and shouldn't be allowed.

So I believe the point is plain (or plane), if you book a flight, paying by debit card, and checking in online that should be in the main price advertised. The other prominent 'extras' such as baggage should have their prices displayed prominently. .

Martin

PS. If you see reference to MSE Archna below, that's because riginally for convenience this was copied from the weekly email by MSE Archna, though its my words, name as we were working on the weekly e-mail - now that's been corrected).

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Best answers:

• The only way this family would pay Ј80 each return for airport check in is if they don't print off their boarding cards when they get to the airport. So thats Ј240 for their own lack of common sense!
  As for luggage, they need to think, do we really need 10kg of hand luggage and 15kg of hold luggage each? And it's Ј20 return rather than Ј40 as stated in the OP. Most families can get away with the hand luggage only.
  Paying by debit card has a simple solution. The first time I ever used Ryanair (Jan this year) I booked using Maestro. Before booking I looked at every card type to see the surcharge, found there wasn't one for Visa Electron and that day got a new account with Halifax. Or sign up to entropay for a virtual Visa Electron card. Easy peasy!
  People who say Ryanair is a rip off with charges just don't know how to play Ryanair by the rules. I've had many a Ј2/Ј4/Ј10 return with them with no extra charges at all.
• 1st law - if an OP has the words "rip off" in the title then it isn't.
• If they take the trouble to read the T&C's yes they can easily do it for Ј1.00, if they can't be bothered, considerably more, but they will be made completely aware of the total cost before commitment to payment.
• BUT you can rip off ryanair, but not by much.
  Ј1 flights from your destination back to the UK are also priced in local currencies.
  Five of us are going on a weekend trip to Basel in Switzerland, local currency CHF, in Sterling the return price for 5 is Ј5, in swiss francs the price for 5 is CHF5 equal to Ј3 and with a Ј1.50 electron card, total cost is Ј4.50, so by booking for 5 people in Swiss Francs I saved 50p.
• Also see the Make Money From Ryanair thread i.e pay in euros and ask for change in Sterling. They could end up paying you to travel!
• I'm aware of all the charges they whack on, and even got an electron to combat them, but I'm still worried to use them because knowing my luck I'll mess up somewhere and end up getting stung.
  I don't mind them adding on charges but I think they should be made to show the actual price.
• Another way to make sure you don't make mistakes is to do the booking with another person sat with you at the computer.
  Pen, paper and calculator also helps to write down as you go a running total of the cost.
• I wouldn't consider myself to be a genius, but have booked many flights with Ryanair & Easyjet, and even foreign budget airlines, not needed anyone to hold my hand, and been happy that I've got a very good deal.