How To Increase Your Airfare
Yesterday I wrote a post about the cost of some domestic coach airfares topping $1,000 but stated that for my family, a round trip flight from Denver to Houston over the week of Christmas was much less, about $450 per person.
Just for fun, I thought I’d go see how many extra charges I could find that would bump up my flight cost if I didn’t plan ahead wisely, so …
I repriced today for just one person and found an itinerary at reasonable times during the day for $375.99. That’s the starting point we’ll use. That’s just the airfare itself, though, so let’s look at some other costs … some of these are specific to certain airlines so you probably wouldn’t have them all apply on one trip, but it’s a nice lesson in looking at the fine print and being prepared. I’m going to use the maximum price for every option except parking - I’m a bit of a brat like that.
First of all, for my illustration, I’m using Expedia’s website. In the terms you agree to, there’s the following:
- Please note that the most restrictive set of rules applies to your entire itinerary.
- Denver, CO (DEN-All Airports) to Houston, TX (HOU-All Airports)
Tickets are nonrefundable. A fee of $150.00 per ticket will be charged for itinerary changes after the tickets are issued, provided that the booking rules were followed.- Denver, CO (DEN-All Airports) to Houston, TX (HOU-All Airports)
A fee of $150.00 per ticket will be charged for itinerary changes after the tickets are issued, provided that the booking rules were followed.- In addition to any penalties imposed by the airline, a processing fee of up to $30.00 per ticket will be charged by Expedia for any changes you make to the flights in this itinerary.
- Tickets are nontransferable and name changes are not allowed.
- This price includes a nonrefundable $7.00 booking fee.
- Please read important information regarding airline liability limitations.
- Prices do not include baggage fees or other fees charged directly by the airline.
- Read an overview of all the rules and restrictions applicable to this fare.
- Read the complete penalty rules for changes and cancellations applicable to this fare.
So, assuming that I don’t change my itinerary, I won’t have to worry about the $150 fee. I will have the $7 booking fee, but that’s rolled into the taxes and fees of $23.51 that Expedia tacks onto their fare, raising the final amount to them $399.50.
If I had gone directly to United to book the entire flight, I would have had to pay a $25 fee to talk to a live person if I couldn’t get my itinerary booked correctly online (I won’t count that in my final tally for this illustration but wanted to include it because it’s ridiculous).
The itinerary I chose has me on a United flight going to Houston and Continental coming back. I left the link for the baggage and other fees intact in the list above so you could go check out their handy dandy table, but to summarize, let’s assume I will have two bags to check both ways and I didn’t remember to bring anything to eat or drink on the plane. On the way out on United, I will be charged $15 for my first bag, $25 for the second bag of gifts to give, and up to $9 for a beverage and snack. Returning on Continental, I’d have $15 for my first bag, $25 for the second bag full of gifties coming home, and no fees for snacks and beverages (but no guarantee that there will be anything to eat either, I suppose - it’s really not a very long flight). If my bags are oversized or too heavy, I would have a fee of up to $175 going down to Houston and $150 coming back. United does offer a 20% discount if you pay for your first bag fee online, but that’s not an option through Expedia so it doesn’t count.
Now, I’m a tall girl, so airline seats are usually pretty cramped for me. On a Continental flight this summer I was really pleased with the leg room but usually I’m pretty sure in the knees by the end of a flight, especially if the person in front of me needs that two inches of recline for a nap (go here for a hilarious Ellen Degeneres skit where she talks about this - it’s about two and a half minutes in). United offers “preferred seating” with more leg room, probably exit rows and bulkheads, for up to $109 per seat. Continental doesn’t have extra fees for preferred seating.
If I wanted to bring my cat, I’d need to add $175 for the United leg and $125 for the return on Continental. I must really like my cat.
Oops - I almost forgot about parking. I chose a 9 day visit because I really like my parents. The cheap lots for Denver International Airport, located somewhere in the general vicinity of Wichita, are $5 per day, so that’s $45 altogether.
If I had chosen to fly on Jet Blue, I would also be charged $7 if I wanted a pillow and a blanket - I won’t count that for this example, just another point to be made.
OK! So, me and my cat Rocky are heading to Houston for a little over a week and bringing my gifts made of superheavy lead with us, I desperately need extra legroom because I had knee surgery this summer and am not quite healed up yet, and I have to buy food on the plane because I forgot to bring any. Adding up all of the above fees, I have successfully taken my $399.50 airfare to a whopping $1,267.50 - for one person! In coach! If I for some reason have to change my itinerary on both legs, I can add over $350 to that cost.
Of course, you aren’t going to do that, but knowing about all of the fees that you COULD incur is helpful.
Tips:
- If you’re going for a longish period of time, see if a friend can take you to the airport and pick you up.
- Ship whatever you can to avoid baggage fees. Even if you’re shipping something very heavy both ways, it’s probably not going to cost you as much as taking it on the airplane.
- Leave the pets at home and ask a neighbor to check in on them or find other accommodations. Boarding isn’t cheap, but I’ve heard airplane rides aren’t particularly pleasant for animals anyway. At least go read this and consider whether it’s wise to bring your animal(s).
- From an old post:
I wouldn’t mind at all bringing my own beverages except that the TSA still considers that to be a terrorist act so I can’t unless I put them in three ounce containers and then in a quart size ziploc, which apparently renders all dangerous liquids completely harmless. If you travel quite a bit, having only two options is no good - either buying ridiculously overpriced water in the terminal or buying ridiculously overpriced water on the plane. Bring an empty water bottle and fill it up in a fountain instead. There are water bottles with filters, if that’s important to you. Look for them in health food stores, sporting goods stores, or online.
- Of course, bring snacks. You’ll like what you bring better than whatever they’re going to have on the plane anyway.
- Dress in layers or at least bring a light jacket in case you get chilly.
- If you need extra leg room, pay attention to which airline you choose. As I mentioned, my experience with Continental was excellent as far as leg room.
- Don’t wait until the last minute to book - you’ll need at least three weeks advance purchase to get lower prices, but those are for nonrefundable tickets so …
- Make sure you have pretty solid itinerary plans BEFORE you book to minimize the chance of having to alter your tickets.
I’m not an frequent traveler so I’m sure I’m missing some tips - feel free to add a comment if you have a good idea!
This post is included in the 180th Carnival of Personal Finance. For more great reading, please check it out!
