Don't rush into booking reservations without looking at the fine print. You can be charged extra fees for bags, award tickets, reserving seats on the phone, checking your pet, waiting too long to purchase a VISA, and renting a car for a one way trip. Many times these fees can either be minimized or avoided. See some of the solutions below.
Basic Economy Fees
American Airlines, United and Delta rolled out “basic economy” fares in the first half of 2017, which many travelers assumed were meant to compete with low-cost carriers such as Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines. But basic economy fares might not be less expensive than what the regular economy fares were before the new fares were implemented, NPR reported. And on many of these tickets, basic amenities — such as the use of overhead bins — trigger a fee or just aren't available. In other words, your cheap flight won't be so cheap.
For example, American and United allow one small bag that fits under the seats in basic economy. If a traveler with a basic economy ticket tries to bring a larger bag onboard a United flight, they will be charged a $25 service fee per bag, on top of the standard fee for checked baggage. Some carriers, such as United, will allow their elite frequent fliers and cardholders to ditch the fees. So if you expect to fly basic economy regularly, it might be worth applying for a credit card that will save you from racking up fees.
Visa Fees
Americans enjoy the privilege of traveling to many countries around the world without a visa. But you'll need to buy a tourist visa when visiting some countries. And these visas can be expensive. A visa to visit Russia, for example, can cost between $90 and $540, depending on how many entries you will make into the country and how quickly you need to receive it.
There is no way to avoid paying for visas to some countries. But booking well in advance can keep you from having to pay for an expedited visa, which can add a significant cost to your bill — $85 for travel to Nigeria, for example.
Non-Internet Airline Booking Fees
You might wonder what difference it makes to an airline how you book your ticket. Whether online, in person or over the phone, it’s all revenue in the airline’s pocket, right? Well, if you’d like to talk your flight options through with a customer service rep, either on the phone or in person, that’s going to cost you.
United charges $25 to book tickets on the phone and $50 to book at the airport. American Airlines' fee to book through its reservations center is $25 for domestic travel and $35 for international travel. Even booking a premium cabin doesn’t circumvent these fees.
So if you’re looking to book for free, either stick with online, or consider flying another airline. Delta, for example, eliminated the fee for all tickets except those issued in select European countries. It also waives the charge for all Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members.
Airline Pet Boarding Fees
If you want to bring your beloved cat or dog onboard the airplane, it’ll cost you. The fees vary among airlines. Southwest charges $95, American charges $125 and Delta charges $75 to $200. But no airline is going to let you get away with toting your toy poodle in your handbag as a piece of gratis carry-on luggage. However, if your animal is a documented emotional support animal or service animal, most airlines will not charge a fee.
One-Way Fees for Car Rentals
In some cases while traveling, the journey is as much the point as the destination.
But if you’re renting a car to make the trip, prepare to pay extra for dropping the car off at a different location from where you picked it up. This fee can be surprisingly easy to circumvent — just use “one way” as a search term, and you might find coupons that waive the fee. Hertz now offers one-way car rental packages with no separate drop-off fees.
Award Ticket Fees
It can come as an unpleasant surprise when booking a ticket using the miles or points you've accumulated and you have to pay a fee to have an award ticket issued. And should you need to cancel your ticket, there will be another fee to have the miles re-deposited into your account — for example, Delta charges $150.
Sometimes there is a rush booking fee to use miles for tickets for flights less than 21 days before departure, as well. United charges $75 for award tickets booked within three weeks of the departure date. Use your miles for trips you are able to plan out well in advance to avoid being charged. And if you do need to book or cancel reservations at the last minute, it helps to have status with an airline that sometimes will waive fees for high-status members.
Basic Economy Fees
American Airlines, United and Delta rolled out “basic economy” fares in the first half of 2017, which many travelers assumed were meant to compete with low-cost carriers such as Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines. But basic economy fares might not be less expensive than what the regular economy fares were before the new fares were implemented, NPR reported. And on many of these tickets, basic amenities — such as the use of overhead bins — trigger a fee or just aren't available. In other words, your cheap flight won't be so cheap.
For example, American and United allow one small bag that fits under the seats in basic economy. If a traveler with a basic economy ticket tries to bring a larger bag onboard a United flight, they will be charged a $25 service fee per bag, on top of the standard fee for checked baggage. Some carriers, such as United, will allow their elite frequent fliers and cardholders to ditch the fees. So if you expect to fly basic economy regularly, it might be worth applying for a credit card that will save you from racking up fees.
Visa Fees
Americans enjoy the privilege of traveling to many countries around the world without a visa. But you'll need to buy a tourist visa when visiting some countries. And these visas can be expensive. A visa to visit Russia, for example, can cost between $90 and $540, depending on how many entries you will make into the country and how quickly you need to receive it.
There is no way to avoid paying for visas to some countries. But booking well in advance can keep you from having to pay for an expedited visa, which can add a significant cost to your bill — $85 for travel to Nigeria, for example.
Non-Internet Airline Booking Fees
You might wonder what difference it makes to an airline how you book your ticket. Whether online, in person or over the phone, it’s all revenue in the airline’s pocket, right? Well, if you’d like to talk your flight options through with a customer service rep, either on the phone or in person, that’s going to cost you.
United charges $25 to book tickets on the phone and $50 to book at the airport. American Airlines' fee to book through its reservations center is $25 for domestic travel and $35 for international travel. Even booking a premium cabin doesn’t circumvent these fees.
So if you’re looking to book for free, either stick with online, or consider flying another airline. Delta, for example, eliminated the fee for all tickets except those issued in select European countries. It also waives the charge for all Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members.
Airline Pet Boarding Fees
If you want to bring your beloved cat or dog onboard the airplane, it’ll cost you. The fees vary among airlines. Southwest charges $95, American charges $125 and Delta charges $75 to $200. But no airline is going to let you get away with toting your toy poodle in your handbag as a piece of gratis carry-on luggage. However, if your animal is a documented emotional support animal or service animal, most airlines will not charge a fee.
One-Way Fees for Car Rentals
In some cases while traveling, the journey is as much the point as the destination.
But if you’re renting a car to make the trip, prepare to pay extra for dropping the car off at a different location from where you picked it up. This fee can be surprisingly easy to circumvent — just use “one way” as a search term, and you might find coupons that waive the fee. Hertz now offers one-way car rental packages with no separate drop-off fees.
Award Ticket Fees
It can come as an unpleasant surprise when booking a ticket using the miles or points you've accumulated and you have to pay a fee to have an award ticket issued. And should you need to cancel your ticket, there will be another fee to have the miles re-deposited into your account — for example, Delta charges $150.
Sometimes there is a rush booking fee to use miles for tickets for flights less than 21 days before departure, as well. United charges $75 for award tickets booked within three weeks of the departure date. Use your miles for trips you are able to plan out well in advance to avoid being charged. And if you do need to book or cancel reservations at the last minute, it helps to have status with an airline that sometimes will waive fees for high-status members.