The Most Annoying Airline Fees (and How to Avoid Them)

Baggage Fees

Since nearly everyone who travels needs a bag, baggage fees are one of the least reasonable aspects of flying on a plane. In this way, baggage fees aren’t really fees so much as a hidden upcharge on the price of every ticket. In fact, airlines now make around 3% of their entire revenue on baggage fees.

Not every airline charges the same amount (it can even differ on domestic vs international flights). In general, however, baggage fees bottom out at around $30 for your first and second bags for the cheapest airlines, like Delta and Spirit. But once you get up to four bags, even cheap airlines charge as much as $200 per bag.

The only way to avoid this fee is to read the fine print on the airline tickets you’re considering buying to compare their charges with the number of bags you plan on bringing. Take note of when airlines offer a free carry-on bag, and see if you can squeeze your stuff into that bag for free. Also, consider that some of the more expensive airlines, like Southwest, offer the first and second bags for free, which may even out their higher ticket prices.

Change and Cancellation Fees

Change and cancellation fees are another unwelcome addition to the lineup of extra charges for most airlines. Canceling a flight in 2023 can cost anywhere from $75 to $200, depending on the flight. This is a nonrefundable charge that you must pay despite the fact that you never even set foot on a plane.

Since all airlines are different, your main defense against change and cancellation fees is to find airlines that don’t charge them. United, for example, no longer charges its customary $200 cancellation fee. Instead, you can cancel your ticket for a refund if the ticket was purchased less than 24 hours prior and the flight is more than a week away. If you’re outside of this window, you will receive airline credit rather than a refund. Some airlines also allow you to purchase an add-on that acts as insurance on your reservation, guaranteeing you a refund if you have to change or cancel your flight.

Finally, the reason for your flight cancellation can make a difference too. For instance, you can send some airlines confirmation of a positive COVID-19 test around the time of your canceled flight and receive flight credit without a cancellation fee.

“Premium Economy” Fees

“Premium economy” class is sometimes called “economy plus” or “elite economy.” It was introduced in the ’90s and now serves as a way for airlines to charge an extra fee for certain amenities. Though premium economy seats are somewhere in value between modern economy and business class seating, back in the day, all economy seats were essentially “premium economy.”

These seats now come with additional services compared to normal seating, such as extra legroom, more comfortable chairs, free bags, or in-flight entertainment options. The price of premium economy seating varies between airlines and even between booking times depending on seat availability. Getting a wider seat from Spirit airlines, for instance, can cost as little as $40 or as much as $200 extra for the same seat.

There’s no way to avoid the premium economy upcharge other than to buy seats in standard economy class. If you do want the premium seat, though, remember that there is no standardized set of services for this class. Review what each airline offers before choosing.

Seat Selection Fees

Seat selection is another strategy that airlines have come up with to fool people into overpaying for their flights. On the “seat selection” screen of your ticket, you may think that each seat’s price is what you have to pay for the seat. However, those prices are actually upcharges designated per seat for choosing the one you want. Better rows equate to higher fees, usually in the range of $10 to $40.

Many don’t realize that they can skip this screen altogether, as seat selection is entirely optional. If you opt for the lottery, you could be stuck with a middle seat in a buried row, but that’s probably better than paying an extra $40, especially on a short flight. Remember that so long as you have a ticket, you are guaranteed a seat on the plane, regardless of whether you selected one.

Fees for Sitting Together

Of the 10 major American airlines, seven charge families extra to sit together, anywhere from $10 to $100 per seat. Due to this fee’s potential to separate young children from their parents, as of the time of writing, the Department of Transportation is fighting back against this fee.

We won’t get into the irony of a federal organization making a crusade “in the name of consumers” for something that has directly resulted from a federal tax on airlines. For now, all you need to know is that only three airlines — Alaska, Frontier, and American — guarantee group seats without an additional fee. Flying with them is the only way to avoid this extra charge. However, this particular fee may change in the coming months.

Boarding Pass Print Fees

By far the strangest fee that modern airlines force consumers to pay, many discount airlines now charge a small fee to physically print the boarding passes. Usually, it’s around $5, as it is with Spirit airlines. Alternatively, you can check in at the electronic kiosks using a code on your phone, but this also costs a small fee, usually $1.

This fee, unlike some of the others, may not only be motivated by nickel-and-diming passengers out of extra money. With the widespread use of smartphones and electronic confirmation systems, airlines may be hoping to streamline their boarding process and eventually phase out the use of printed boarding passes altogether.

Regardless of why this fee exists, it can be easily avoided simply by not printing the boarding pass. Just ensure you have a smartphone with internet capabilities to access your airline’s email confirmation for use at their airport kiosks.

Food and Beverage Costs

Complimentary meals and drinks on airlines were reduced to a few snacks and water a couple of decades ago. Today, few airlines offer anything complimentary. Flight attendants who walk the aisles with carts of soda and pretzels also have a credit card reader to take even more from the passengers during transit.

Airlines rarely list on their sites if they offer complimentary coffee or snacks mid-flight, so it’s a roll of the dice now to see if you get any (though the pricier the airline is, the more likely it is it will offer amenities). Thankfully, this extra charge is easy to avoid simply by refusing food and drink on the flight. It’s still a disappointingly far cry from the flights of decades ago, with the clinking of forks and knives and the steam of brewing coffee.

But you can always pack snacks and water in your carry-on bag. Just remember that you can’t bring liquids through security at a modern airline. Bring an empty bottle and fill it at the terminal.

Bottom Line

The main takeaway from learning about these fees is that airlines now take every opportunity to trick their passengers with hidden fees and charges for amenities. While not all these fees are avoidable, it’s now an essential survival strategy to plan your flights with these fees in mind, checking the fine print on airline policies concerning baggage costs and other fees.

We recommend finding airlines that offer free carry-ons and bringing snacks in your own bags. Avoid seat selection and premium seating fees where possible, and be diligent about cancellation deadlines. Scheduling a flight may be a minefield of hidden costs today, but at least now you have a few ways to work around them.