By Erin Hunter
Are you sure that you only pay for the ticket fee? It’s time to rethink this notion. Don’t miss these additional costs while flying mentioned in this post. Keep reading.
A normal air travel routine might look something like this: book a flight, board the plane and reach your destination. Simple right?
However, while you might believe that you are paying for your ticket only, that might simply not be the case. Whether you travel occasionally or you are a routine flyer, you must have come across a few additional costs that might have missed your eye, or you might not have thought much about.
However, these costs can increase your travel expenditure significantly if left unchecked. So what are these hidden charges? Let’s find out.
- Extra Luggage fee: Bringing extra luggage, over what is allowed, results in additional charges for the extra bags. You must always re-check the weight and number of bags allotted, and book for additional luggage beforehand if you require more. These prices are often much lower when booking the ticket than at the time of check-in. And they can save you valuable time when you’re rushing to catch a flight at the airport.
- In-flight meals: The journey from one destination to another is already a tiring one that becomes more tiring if there are multiple halt points or a layover. In-flight meals look like a saviour in these situations. While some airlines (mostly full-service airlines) offer a complimentary in-flight meal, that might not be the case for low-cost carriers. Since you might not have other means to access food, these mid-air meals are often over-priced and can add high costs to your tickets. Pre-book your meals while purchasing your tickets to get better options and lower price offers.
- Surcharges and Taxations: You might have spent hours or even days watching out for the least fare before your travel day. Luckily, you come across one such lucrative price on a special day that effortlessly fits in your budget. But once you move past the main window to pay the flight fees, the flight ticket seems to increase. Not wanting to miss out on the initially quoted price by going back and refreshing the page, flyers mostly pay the new price. But what has happened? Welcome to the world of taxations and surcharges. While these taxes are unavoidable, you must always check the surcharges on the flight ticket and know what this additional cost is.
- Cancellation or Change of itinerary Fee: Ticket cancellation and rescheduling the flight is a routine part of travelling whether by air or other means of transport. While such decisions are always influenced by changing circumstances, the airlines seem to gain lucratively on every ticket cancelled. An entire refund on the ticket bought, might look like a far-stretched dream to many. And rightfully so. Some tickets are entirely non-refundable, and others often come with a significant bit of cancellation fees. So, always watch out for the cancellation charges or rescheduling costs while booking a ticket.
- Convenience Fee: If you opt to book a ticket from a travel portal, you might be charged a convenience fee. This charge can somewhere be around 5-10% of the ticket price. While multiple portals offer discount coupons or convenience fee-free booking, you must compare their prices with the charges quoted on the airline website.
A Useful Tip: Compare the Final Cost
Make sure you compare the overall cost of the journey rather than just looking at the ticket prices shown to get the real picture. Whether you are looking for a Delhi to Mumbai, Pune to Goa or Kolkata to Bangalore airfare calendar, compare the final costs before deciding.
Can you Avoid these Hidden Costs?
There’s a silver lining to the situation- You can successfully avoid these hidden costs. If you are part of an air miles program, some of these costs can be counterbalanced or reduced. You might not be charged for an in-flight meal, or allowed or get a concession on extra luggage, and likewise, perks based on your travel loyalty program. So while booking a ticket, you can always turn to your air miles program for support.
