One Price For Flights Is Better

Traditionally when you booked a ticket with an airline you knew what you were getting. There would be no extra fees for food or luggage allowance. You knew you would get at least one meal depending on the length of the flight. There would be drinks available and possibly even a film. Nowadays though, with the rise of budget airlines, you may not get any of this unless you pay additional charges.

However, it seems there has been a backlash to the good old days of one price only. Passengers prefer to have flight add-ons included in the price of their ticket, it has been asserted.

Which? remarked that this method of billing can cause "confusion" among customers who do not know why some surcharges are printed on their invoice. The watchdog commented that airlines believe this is a "fairer" way of setting their prices for those who do not do things such as check bags in on short-haul services.

Check-in charges can also be an issue for people as these have been "free [...] for a number of years", the watchdog said. A spokesperson added: "A huge majority of airline passengers want just one price for everything, with everything included in it."

More and more firms are now giving you the option for extras on the price of your flight.

Examples of further charges that may be made:

•    Fuel surcharge – this is usually for long haul flights, but may also be charged on some short haul.

•    Food – on short haul flights this is not such a problem, but if the flight is more than a few hours it may be worth investing this extra charge.

•    Checked in luggage – this is a saving for people who only have hand luggage, this will usually only apply to short haul flights.

When booking your flights online it can be helpful to look at the small print to find out exactly what you are paying for. Reputable firms should have an area on their website which will give you detailed information about what you do and do not get in the price of your flight. If you are in doubt you can often ring the company to check.

If you would like to know more about airlines why not ask AnswerBank Travel.