Thursday, June 12, 2014

Hidden costs of flying

Travellers are spoiled for choice when it comes to scoring a deal on a cheap flight. Budget carriers offering more routes around the world making it easier than ever to compare the prices on offer, consumers are getting used to lower fares such as cheap fare to Vietnam. But before you hit ‘buy now’, take a few minutes to check every detail of your booking agreement. Otherwise, you may find that the attractively cheap top line price has been transformed into an expensive overall total given the “hidden extras”.



Don’t fall for cheap fare easily 


In the pursuit of a bargain, it’s easy to overlook or forget about the real costs of that flight. Lower fares mean you’re not paying for inclusions offered by full-service airlines. If you don’t pay attention to the added costs, you can end up booking a really expensive fare to Vietnam or other destinations around the world.

Taxes, Fees and Charges


Often taxes, fees and surcharges increase the first fare quoted considerably by the time you reach the point of purchase. All companies levy various charges, ranging from a surcharge to cover additional insurance costs. Always check these out carefully and make sure you’re not opting in to pay for services you don’t need. There may be a few boxes to unstick before you whip out your credit card.

Checking luggage


With the vast majority of established airline industry players, one item of baggage and one carry on is permitted before a fee is incurred. However, most budget airlines now charge customers for checking even one luggage, not oversized or overweight.

Make sure you look at the fine print of the terms and conditions for your carrier. Don’t get caught out by excess baggage fees. Know the dimensions of what you’re allowed to carry on as well as the weight limit. Each airline has their own rules about cabin baggage and some seem to delight in charging you if your luggage doesn’t conform. At best, you might end up having your luggage put in the hold; at worst it might cost you more than your fare.

Booking fees


The cost of booking flights online by credit card has soared in recent years and now many low-fare websites charge travellers for using their credit card or debit card. 

Seat selection charges


Some airlines charge a premium to reserve seats on their aircraft. For example, besides rock-bottom cheap fare to Vietnam, you will need to add up the seat selection fees.

How can flight times affect your budget?


Typically, the cheapest fares are often only available off season, and on early morning, late evening or night flights, so you need to consider:

Transportation to and from airport


Remember to factor in the costs of making it to the airport. Sometimes public transport schedules won’t get you there on time, which means paying for a shuttle or a taxi, opening your wallet for an airport hotel, or if your budget is really tight then sleeping in the airport itself.

Hotel checking


If it's an early start, you can't bank on checking in at your hotel, so see if you can stash your luggage there or in a locker at the train station. Or even drag your rucksack around town, if you can bear it. 

Where will you end up at?


Many low-cost companies also use minor, or secondary, airports as their destinations. Some of these airports do not have the same levels of passenger service as you might expect from a major city airport, and many are a considerable distance from city centers. 

Do a little homework to find out how to get to the city center from your destination airport. It is essential to find out the costs and frequency of public transport between these bases and city centers before confirming your booking. Is there public transport? Is there an airport shuttle transfer service? If you’re travelling in a group it can be cheaper to book a car service or share a taxi. For instance, if you book cheap fare to Vietnam at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, you will need to factor in the cost of 400,000 for taxi to the district 1. 

If airline charge less, they're not squeezing as many bucks out of us as they can; if they charge more, they won't end up on page one of your airfare search site results, and you won't fly them. And that's what it's all about for every airline. So to ensure your bargain flight doesn't deal you an unexpected budgetary blow, review the fine print with a critical eye, consider the added costs and pack light. As long as you know what you'll pay in total, fly your favorite airline!

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