5 Ways to Say “No” to a la Carte Travel

Airlines today often expect passenger to pay for each item separately on a trip. This significantly drives up cost, but passengers can control these problems by looking for chances to bundle their expenses. This can be applied to all aspects of travel, not just air fare, to reduce the cost of vacation or personal travel.

1. Look for Packaged Travel
   Southwest and JetBlue do not charge for add-ons like checked bags or sodas. You can take this a step further by using an online service like Expedia, Orbitz or Travelocity. These organizations negotiate deals with multiple providers on the whole sale level. They then package these items, like air fare, hotel cost and rental car expenses into one package. Going with this type of package truly presents savings over buying each individually even with the site’s small markup.
2. Make Your Voice Heard
   When a company charges for an item that you expected was covered in the original price, say something. Companies should disclose these items, like insurance on a rental car, up front. Companies are legally obligated to tell you this information before you book with them. If you tell them you are aware of this obligation, they may back down from the charges and give you the chance to avoid the fees.
3. Skip out on Bad Deals
   There are many levels of a la carte chargers. Some are worse than others. The very worst tend to include: Spirit, Allegiant and AirTran. If you know an airline is very inconvenient due to added a la carte fees, then simply elect to take your business elsewhere. A good indicator you may be in for a pricey trip is the fee to book a ticket. If a company charges you a convenience fee to book online or over the phone, then think hard about booking. There is a mandatory September 11 surcharge of $10 imposed by the FAA. All other booking fees should be avoided.
4. Make Alternative Arrangements
   Ship your baggage instead of checking it. Pack a carry on instead of a large suit case. Buy a water in the terminal instead of a soda on the flight. Do not pay to sit in the front bulkhead or the emergency row. Just plan on doing what you have to in order to avoid fees, and you will save hundreds of dollars a year on travel.
5. Join the Club
   There are savings to be had with frequent flier programs and airline credit cards. Concentrating your travel to one airline alone often presents the best options to really cash in. When you use one airline repeatedly, you will get off without the added fees. Sacrificing a little flexibility will be worth the savings.

Tags: added fees, airline tickets, baggage fee, booking fee, cheap airline tickets