There’s a good debate going on in the Southwest forum on FlyerTalk right now – Will Southwest Win the Fee vs. No Fee War? As I’m sure all of you know, Southwest has decided to not follow all the other airlines in adding fees for checked bags and other items. Some seem to be wondering if that will be effective in attracting passengers. So, time for a poll I think!
Do you compare airline fees before booking a ticket?
- Yes (76%, 44 Votes)
- No (24%, 14 Votes)
Total Voters: 58
Loading ...Happy voting!
I think my most recent trip was the first time I’ve ever had to sit down and do some math prior to flying. When you add up the baggage fees, the drinks at the airports… etc, some carrier’s ‘low’ fares turn out to be not so low at all.
Nahh, no adding up for me. I always stick to airlines I have status with, because even if the ticket price is more, the additional miles and benefits I earn, along with the lack of fees, usually make the premium worth it.
At work, we use an online booking tool provided by our corporate travel agency. We are required to use the low cost airline for our day and time of travel. If we deviate from the cheapest flight, we have to explain why, and it had better be a good reason. So the airline I fly varies from trip to trip.
Since I haven’t traveled recently, I don’t know for sure if that online system includes fees when it calculates prices. I bet it doesn’t!
Hey Max,
No, many of the booking tools haven’t included fees in their searches though most will included a chart of fees. I’ve heard theories that the airlines may not like it when the fees are included, and that the booking agency might be afraid the traveler might not want to book the trip at all. Another thing to consider is that the software running the booking engine needs to be updated.
Thanks for commenting!