Navigating "Real" Costs for flying

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Have you all noticed how different flying costs from one airline to the next? I don't mean the prices that are published say when you do a search via a travel website, but the ending actual price to fly somewhere. The confusion comes in that one airline won't let you bring a carryon unless you buy a high level ticket, another will charge you for a seat where you can actually sit where your knees are not touching the seat in front of you, another charges you $100 for checked bags, etc.

I just booked a flight for my daughter to come home from college for a week for Christmas break. We have limited time with her so trying to book a good time (knowing she should be able to get a ride to and back from the airport) and to accommodate her flying needs. It should not be difficult to get a direct flight from Chicago to Boston.

So I try to book first on JetBlue (normally our preferred airline) - not sure if they are in cahoots now with American because that was pulling on their website in either case, it seemed they flights said "no carryon". I look it is $35 to check a bag. Ok, so I ask her if she plans on checking a bag or carryon luggage - she said she would only need to carryon. I check Southwest as that airline you can carryon and check bags at no extra costs - no direct flights from O'Hare; only Midway (O'Hare is really close to her school and she can easily get a ride there).

So I go on Orbitz so I can look at various airlines - finally see for just a little bit more she can fly on United and actually carryon her luggage and even book a seat a head of time without paying any extra fees. What a pain in the a$$. You need to read everything little thing.

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And then because we are flying out to see my daughter in a couple of weeks - I had to go double check our flight to make sure we could bring on carryon - it never occurred to me that an airline would not even allow you to bring one on (these ones did not even give you an option to pay extra to bring a carryon -you simply could not)....phew carryon was allowed. We are only going for a long weekend so the idea of waiting for luggage for such a short trip.

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@Linkat,

I travel quite a bit (I live half time in Mexico and fly between Boston and Mexico a lot). I have frequent flier privileges, so I may not know. I generally check a bag (for free) and bring a small backpack that fits under the seat.

I think luggage is the only extra cost that you can't avoid (am I wrong about that)? I generally pay for internet. I bring my own food.

Is there more?

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I realize that my tendency to look at the bright side annoys many people, but this is factually correct.

The cost of flying (even including the extras) has gone down significantly over the past 40 years.

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@maxdancona,

The thing that I ran into recently was there was not an option to bring a carryon. It would be one thing if say I had to pay extra to bring it on but they did not even have that option. Now it is quite possible that I could figure out how to purchase the next grade higher - but it became quite a pain in the a$$ to figure this all out - I just opted for United instead since I did not have to try to find that option.

It is as much as trying to navigate around the website to figure out what you really want (whether it costs more or not) and what is allowed. It was not until somewhat recently that this "no carryon" was even a different price. I feel the rules change daily.

Other things that cost more (depending on the airline) - booking a seat (nothing to do with extra legroom) some airlines do not allow you to book your seat and they assign it at check in; extra legroom; desirable seat location on plane; boarding order...not sure what else.

To me it is the difficulty of knowing what costs more and what is actually included when you purchase. It is kind of like hotels that are now adding in extra costs that you do not have a choice in. Fortunately the hotels stuff is getting ironed out where you know have the option (on most websites) to select the overall costs.

The problem I am having with the airlines are things they are not clear is not included or not allowed. It is more that they are not clear with these.

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@maxdancona,

Again - I don't have an issue with that - it is the "surprises".

Up to about a year or six months ago, I have never heard that some airlines are not allowing you to carryon luggage. Then you get to the airport and they say no you cannot carry that on - it is not an option for your ticket so you need to pay $50 to check it. So suddenly you are now charged for (if you are with another person) to check two small carryons when if you knew you could have checked one larger. And/or plan on flying another carrier that seems more expensive but with the fact you can carryon your luggage is less expensive and/or more convenient.

I suppose it will just be a matter of time before the airlines will be required to have all their data spelled out when you start looking like what is now required for hotels.

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@Linkat,

Transparency of charges is a problem along with other passenger rights issues. Then there’s the issue of delays on tarmac where they hold you captive for unknown timeframes. However, I digress.

I experienced similar things with my flying with the same airlines. Recently we flew back from upstate NY though JFK with JetBlue. They clearly are charging differently than in the past AND more money for ‘add-ones’.

We fly now with our dog who is charged MORE than we paid our seats ($125 vs $94) and then in addition we are charged one luggage carryon , thus losing the free carryon. Though we can’t put her in the seat next to us even though we paid a surplus for it. We must put her in specifically sized soft-sided carrier under the seat. As a result, we lose the free first-bag and pay $35 for having a ‘second” bag.

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@Ragman,

Quote:

We fly now with our dog who is charged MORE than we paid our seats ($125 vs $94) and then in addition we are charged one luggage carryon , thus losing the free carryon

Good to know - my daughter wanted us to bring our smaller dog (I have traveled with small dogs before and on Jetblue).... we are traveling though on United this time because of all the weird stuff I was seeing on Jetblue's website and also on Orbitz (which I felt was a bit more clear on the carryone or lack thereof). I did not look into bringing the dog this time on United so not sure what their charges are for this. But yeah it used to be below $100 each way for the pup and he went under the seat in front of us.

One thing I will say - on Orbitz if you choose a flight at then end it does say what is included and what is not. That was how I found that I could not bring a carryon with Jetblue - I then went directly to Jetblue's website and I could pick a higher level ticket (of course it costs more) but then I could bring a carryon but they were giving me American Airlines flights too on their website. Due to the confusion, I went back to Orbitz and selected the United flights.

It was not the cheapest (as I choose also due to times and direct flights) but overall it was lower price and who knows due to the fact I would have paid for checked luggage each way (less convivence as a result) it is highly likely it would net to be more money.

Yeah it is the transparency (or lack thereof ) that is more annoying than say paying another $100 or so.

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I found this website that seems to be very helpful

https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airlines/airline-baggage-fees/

It summarizes the airlines fees and what is included and not and how to avoid the fees - including joining certain frequent flyer programs. I think I will do some more research in the future - I know I am a frequent flyer for Jet blue - so now I know this - it seems I can check a bag without charging - but I think I need to do some more research and see what I can/want to sign up for seeing my daughter being just a couple of hours away by plane - I will be flying even more - especially where the fees and rules seem to be changing more frequently - for instance this carryon thing with Jetblue - just started this year which is probably why I was unaware of it.

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@Linkat,

I just looked at our airlines to see what their rules are... I'm only flying to Victoria, BC, but I'm allowed a small roller bag and a personal item (purse, laptop) for free. First checked bag on both airlines is about $30. But I've taken this small roller bag all over the world for weeks at a time; it works for me and fits into their parameters so I'm good to go. I'm taking Christmas presents out there.

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@Mame,

Mame wrote:

I just looked at our airlines to see what their rules are... I'm only flying to Victoria, BC, but I'm allowed a small roller bag and a personal item (purse, laptop) for free. First checked bag on both airlines is about $30. But I've taken this small roller bag all over the world for weeks at a time; it works for me and fits into their parameters so I'm good to go. I'm taking Christmas presents out there.

Just double check before you go - Jet Blue allowed the same you mention above, but it changed just this past summer.

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When I bought exonomy tickets from United, they made it very clear that these tickets did not include carryon in overhead bins.

I thought this was fair. It was prominently stated before I bought the tickets. If anyone was surprised, it isnt United's fault.

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@maxdancona,

Funny my United tickets stated it included carryon and I bought the lowest price.

The other thing I noticed - it also depends where you are flying to - the few times in the past couple of years I have flown to Chicago on United - I can bring a carryon and pick my seat, but I once more recently flew elsewhere - and I could not.

The difference between the situation you mention here and the one with Jetblue was Jet blue did not prominently state it - I was looking between jetblue's website and orbitz - orbitz did state it clearly (on the Jetblue flight) but on Jetblue's website it did not - I had to read between the lines.

I think as long as it is clear then yeah I am good with it - but not when they try to sneak it through.

What would be really helpful though is to have filters for these things - like you can filter for direct flights - or morning flights - to have a filter with "carryon allowed" or something like that.

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@Linkat,

Quote:

Your carry-on baggage allowance is the same as for standard Economy tickets if you’re traveling on trans-Pacific flights to and from the U.S., or trans-Atlantic flights (flights to Europe, Africa and the Middle East) to and from the U.S., Mexico and Central America, as well as to and from El Salvador, Panama and South America.

For all other Basic Economy tickets, you're not allowed a full-sized carry-on bag unless you're a MileagePlus Premier member or companion traveling on the same reservation, the primary cardmember of a qualifying MileagePlus credit card or a Star Alliance™ Gold member. Everyone else who brings a full-sized carry-on bag to the gate will be required to check their bag and pay the applicable checked bag fee plus a $25 gate handling charge.

https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/inflight/basic-economy.html

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