Have airlines gone too far with their extra fees?

Frequent-flyer Jonathan Massey says helium has been "stung" respective times by airlines' add-on fees.

"You tin expect to beryllium caught retired determination for thing oregon different you person overlooked," helium says.

And determination is nary uncertainty that buying a formation has go much complicated.

Airlines present connection america a plethora of extras astatine the booking stage, from speedy boarding and checking compartment bags to spot selection, each of which travel astatine a price.

Then determination whitethorn beryllium unexpected charges astatine the airdrome if you don't travel a carrier's presumption and conditions. Take the aged mates who went viral past week aft Ryanair charged them £110 to cheque successful and people their tickets astatine the airdrome aft they had mistakenly downloaded their instrumentality tickets.

"I don't person a occupation with add-on fees, arsenic agelong arsenic they're clear," says Jonathan, 57, from Berkshire, who travels for enactment regularly.

But helium thinks they are often not communicated intelligibly oregon applied consistently.

For instance, helium was erstwhile charged for compartment baggage connected a formation backmost from Morocco, but determination were nary problems with the aforesaid container connected the outward journey.

A caller survey by the user radical Which? asked radical astir their experiences flying implicit the erstwhile 2 years. It found:

Airlines accidental that by "unbundling" extras specified arsenic nutrient and portion oregon compartment baggage from the summons price, travellers get much prime and cheaper fares overall.

Industry assemblage Airlines UK says that the aviation manufacture is hugely competitive, and that carriers "work hard" to support rider fares "as debased arsenic possible" successful the UK, which is the 3rd largest aviation marketplace successful the world.

However, the expanding fig of "extras" tin marque the booking process confusing, say critics.

Some perks are besides shooting up successful terms arsenic benefits that utilized to beryllium escaped are chopped away. For instance, 3 of the UK's astir fashionable airlines - Ryanair, EasyJet and Wizz Air - person chopped the size of their escaped compartment baggage allowance by fractional since 2018, an probe by the BBC's Rip disconnected Britain found.

"Many passengers volition find it unfair to find they indispensable wage overmuch much than the header fare - with galore airlines adding connected extortionate fees conscionable for the privilege of sitting with tiny children, oregon taking a compartment container onboard," Rory Boland, question exertion astatine user radical Which?, tells the BBC.

"The fees for these 'added extras' tin rapidly adhd up, truthful it's important to look beyond the header fare erstwhile moving retired what volition connection the champion value."

Ancillary fees arrived successful the 1990s with the emergence of fund airlines specified arsenic Ryanair and EasyJet, but they person dispersed to bigger carriers, says John Grant, elder expert astatine OAG, an aviation information firm.

"Twenty years agone you would person paid a summons and adjacent if you didn't privation to cheque a container you would person paid for one," helium tells the BBC.

However, helium says other fees person go a bigger portion of airlines' concern models implicit the past 7 years and carriers are becoming "increasingly creative" astir what they complaint for.

"Fees are going up due to the fact that the outgo of aerial operations is going up," helium says.

Take EasyJet, which has raised charges sharply for immoderate extras implicit the past six years:

EasyJet told the BBC it would "always beryllium competitory and connection bully value".

"Customers tin take to lone wage for what they privation and don't wage for services they don't need," it added.

The airline's results amusement conscionable however important other fees are to its business, accounting for astir a 3rd of revenues successful 2022, astatine conscionable nether £1.6bn.

The magnitude it makes per rider besides soared by 59% betwixt 2019 and past year, from £14.32 to £22.73.

Travel adept Simon Calder says helium does not person a occupation with astir hose add-ons arsenic the user ever has the prime not to wage them.

Airlines specified arsenic Ryanair person besides greatly lowered the outgo of aerial question for the public, helium says.

But Calder adds: "Once you get into utmost charges to instrumentality your lawsuit onto an craft it gets silly and bears nary narration to outgo to the airline. It's astir making money."

He besides objects to having to wage to beryllium together, arsenic happens connected Ryanair and Wizz Air flights.

In 2017, Ryanair brag Michael O'Leary told passengers to "stop whinging" astir the policy. But Calder sees it arsenic a "straightforward money-making exercise".

"Generally I find EasyJet and BA volition spot you unneurotic adjacent if you don't prime a seat," helium says.

Ryanair told the BBC that further products specified arsenic allocated seating and precedence boarding are each optional and passengers tin "mix and lucifer ancillary products that suit their needs".

A spokesperson for WizzAir said that portion of its "ultra low-cost" operation allows lawsuit to "unbundle" its products truthful that they lone wage for what they need.

"Optional add-ons are not required successful bid to fly, and we judge that customers should beryllium offered the prime and flexibility to take the close products for them," the spokesperson said.

Articles sharing tips connected avoiding costly extras are present communal online.

One strategy is wearing further layers of apparel to debar an other baggage fee, with 1 pistillate from the Philippines claiming to person worn 2.5kg of covering onto a flight successful 2019.

Mr Grant advises travellers to bargain each their extras successful 1 go, upfront, to minimise further costs.

"Buy for what you expect to usage erstwhile you bargain your summons - bargain the bundle alternatively than support going backmost arsenic that is much expensive."

Which? advises travellers to instrumentality manus luggage only, if they can, arsenic it volition often enactment retired cheaper, and to measurement the size of their compartment container to debar unexpected fees astatine the airport.

It besides says travellers should marque the astir of their manus luggage by folding and rolling apparel to maximise space; swapping bulky items similar books and electrical toothbrushes for e-readers and handheld brushes; and readying your vacation wardrobe cautiously truthful you don't instrumentality unnecessary clothing.

Finally, travellers should see booking straight with the airline, Which? suggests, arsenic they won't jack up the terms of extras similar some online question agents do.

Additional reporting by Ez Roberts and Faarea Masud