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Spirit Airlines / Travel Advertising / Fees / Travel Politics / Politics Travel / Bad Ideas / → All Tags

Spirit Airlines Throws Temper Tantrum, Hikes Fees

It seems like only Monday when we were saying that it might be a bad idea to force airlines—some of whom barely have a pulse, as exemplified by the American Airlines bankruptcy—to give up on all the ways they've invented to make money. No one denies that some airline fees are insanely grating, and we complain about them as much as anyone, but with the airline industry recovering from the worst decade ever, maybe this isn't the perfect time for heavy-handed government brainstorming. No one wants a repeat of the tarmac delays debacle, after all.

Naturally the Department of Transportation has chosen now to pass a series of new regulations, including a ban on ticket-change fees for changes made within 24 hours of booking. And we could be doing a post about whether those are bad ideas in theory or in practice or in both. But instead we're going to write about the reaction of Spirit Airlines to the DOT's decision. Because if theRyanair of North America has a specialty, it's in taking something mildly obnoxious and completely owning it.

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Airline Fees / FAA / Fees / → All Tags

Hidden Airline Fees to Come Clean, and You Can Thank the Senate

Do you know what all that text above is? It's what you're shown (but minimized a bit to fit into our image area) when you click on the "Taxes & Fees" breakdown while booking airfare on Travelocity. It's not limited to Travelocity either, the amount the small text you have to read to figure out where those extra charges come into play. And the Federal Aviation Administration isn't all that happy about how confusing hidden airline fees are for consumers, and they're doing something about it.

Report the New York Times:

A provision was added to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill, passed by the Senate earlier this week, that would require airlines and online travel agencies to clearly disclose all fees associated with the cost of a ticket, including holiday surcharges, baggage fees and seat assignments.

So will passengers, when they see a "holiday surcharge," run to another carrier that doesn't have one? Only time will tell we suppose, But for those whose airline loyalty trumps all, we doubt it'll make a difference. Still, disclosing everything is always the honorable thing to do.

Related Stories:
· Legislation to Uncover Hidden Airline Fees [NYT]
· Airline Fees [Jaunted]

[Photo: Travelocity]

Airline Fees / Continental / Airplane Seats / Fees / Airline News / → All Tags

How Much is Seven Extra Inches of Legroom on Continental Worth to You?

The money streaming in from baggage fees is spoiling the airlines rotten. So while millions upon millions of fresh greenbacks come over the check-in counter as passengers get caught by the new fees, the airlines continue to look for more ways to make an extra buck. And although Continental is keeping their free meals in economy for now, they will be charging additional now for something they never have before: seats with more legroom.

It's a very low-cost-carrier move, one that airlines like Jetblue and Virgin America can get away with, but Continental? Times—they are a-changing! Or they will be beginning on March 17 when Continental offers up unreserved coach seats with more legroom with more cash at check-in. A quick visit to SeatGuru.com should tip you off as to which seats will get the $$ treatment or not (hint: definitely the ones highlighted in green), and in some cases, we're talking up to seven extra inches of legroom.

The premium coach seats—since that's what they really are—will go on sale as upgrades 24 hours before the flight, available if you check-in on Continental.com or at the airport, based on availability. Price will be determined by flight length, of course.

Related Stories:
· Continental Airlines to Sell Seat Assignments [ATTips]
· Continental Airlines News [Jaunted]
· Airline News [Jaunted]

[Images: SeatGuru]

Fees / United Airlines / Airlines / Airline News / Travel News / → All Tags

United Slapped With Massive Fine For Hiding Booking Fees

Even before the multi-carrier hikes in baggage fees that happened last week, we saw fee hike after fee hike after fee hike. From change and cancellation fees to charging for seat selection, 2009 was a case study in how airlines can raise actual prices without raising published prices. It's no secret why companies went with that kind of nickel-and-dime strategy. It's not just that people are making their purchases from meta-search engines like Kayak, where they often click on the lowest listed price without looking at much else. It's also about the airlines' ability to publish attention-grabbing fares and to push eye-popping ads.

Now it turns out that United Airlines might have traveled one bridge too far in their journey of opacity. The U.S. Department of Transportation has hit the airline with a whooping $30,000 fine for violating price advertising and publishing rules. For their part, United officials are blaming a programming error that kept a 7.5% federal excise tax—something they're supposed to bundle into the price—off their web listings for two and a half days. This is the second time in a few months they've pulled this stunt, and as CNN explains the DOT has had enough of their nonsense:

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Travel Websites / Expedia / Orbitz / Travelocity / Fees / Car Rentals / Airlines / Airline News / Travel News / → All Tags

Expedia Shocks Travel Industry And Customers, Actually Lowers Fees

Expedia just announced they're waiving their $20 fee for the 7% of Americans who book their itineraries over the phone, establishing themselves in a niche and sticking a finger in the eyes of competitors. Airline centers mostly charge $5-$35 for telephone bookings—Southwest is the only exception—while Orbitz and Travelocity charge $25 per ticket. Priceline doesn't even offer that option.

This won't be much use to us, since our calls to booking agents are limited to rants about the impossibility of reserving rewards travel these days. But Expedia had already eliminated flight booking fees online, and it's nice to see anyone cutting any fee for any reason, no matter how marginal or symbolic the gesture:

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Fees / Travel Fees / Tourism Boards / International Travel / → All Tags

U.S. to International Visitors: Gimme Ten Bucks

Is a visit to the U.S. worth ten bucks? The U.S. Senate seems to think so. According to the AP, the Senate voted on Wednesday to charge a $10 fee to international visitors, with the proceeds funding a nonprofit corporation to promote tourism to the country. In order for the bill to become law, the House of Representatives would also have to approve it, but if they do, foreign visitors who do not need visas to enter the country would have to pay the fee each time they register online in advance of a trip.

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Fees / Airport Telephones / Travel Tips / International Phone Calls / → All Tags

When A Two-Minute Phone Call at The Airport Costs $50

When we got our June credit card statement the other day, we discovered a mysterious charge for about $52. Upon further investigation with the help of the credit card company, we learned that the charge was for a phone call we’d made from a pay phone at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris…in April. Thanks to some wonky phone battery issues, we’d had to use one of those phones that accepts credit cards in order to leave a friend a voicemail that we’d arrived. The call lasted under two minutes, and cost more than a good meal out.

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Rental Cars / Hidden Charges / Fees / Travel Tips / → All Tags

Les 'Hidden Charges' With International Car Rentals

Renting a car in a foreign country can be a wonderful way to see a lot of off-the-beaten path places you could not otherwise reach. It can also be an expensive, dangerous, and fraudulent experience. Chances are it won’t be, but just in case, here are a few extra charges to look out for next time you rent a car abroad.

A Little Insurance Policy
Many credit cards offer rental car insurance that extends to international rentals. Often, this insurance is better than what the rental agencies offer, and covers medical care as well. Educate yourself on your cards’ policies, then choose the best one for coverage of your rental. Just be sure to opt out of the rental agency’s (usually expensive) insurance program or your own will be void. For more about rental insurance and what to do if something goes wrong, check out last month’s article, “What Happens When You And The Rental Car Agency Don’t Speak The Same Language.”

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Travel Booking Sites / Orbitz / Fees / Travel Hell / Online Travel Agents / → All Tags

Orbitz Automatically Adds $14 Bus Ticket 'For Your Convenience'

Oh Orbitz. Why do you keep making us publish these stories? Via Technologizer:

I ended up at Orbitz, which offered some attractive-sounding package deals for a flight and hotel room. I started clicking my way through to buy... Orbitz had added a $14 bus pickup and dropoff to my order. One I hadn’t asked for. And it told me it was doing it "for my convenience." ...

Keep reading to what other optional upgrades Orbitz thinks are "convenient" for you.

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Frontier / Airlines / Airline Bankruptcy / Fees / Airline Fees / → All Tags

Frontier Airlines: Another Fee-Friendly Carrier

Wallet up for an adventure? Frontier is your airline. Not only is the carrier flying under the dark veil of bankruptcy protection, but it also just bumped up fees on everything from scuba equipment to pole vaulting poles to dry ice. (There's also a new fee, as you've no doubt heard, for antlers.) Basically, when you arrive at the airport you'll have no idea how much it'll cost to board the plane--assuming it's still parked at the gate.

The ever popular second-bag fee is now present, too, meaning you'll pay an additional $25 if you've got a bunch of gear. Frontier has also eliminated the pets-in-the-cabin policy, and overweight or oversized bags will set you back $75. How soon before the carrier starts charging "combo fees," like the overweight, checked second-bag of antlers charge?

Related Stories:
· Fees--The Final Frontier [DMN]
· Frontier Airlines Baggage Fees Chart [Official Site]
· Frontier Airlines coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Cubbie_n_Vegas]