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IT’S A TRAP! DON’T FLY INTO THESE BUDGET AIRLINE TRAPS
SOURCE: HTTP://WWW.BUSINESSINSIDER.MY/ITS-A-TRAP-DONT-FLY-INTO-THESE-BUDGET-AIRLINE-TRAPS/#EPHXBAJUK0YKSRLU.97
Have you ever booked a “cheap” flight ticket with a budget airline that turned out to be not such a good deal after all once
you factored in all the “extras”?
We’re not surprised.
Budget airlines are known to cut down what is normally included in the standard price of a flight ticket, sometimes offering fares that
are 50% or even 80% cheaper.
However, with cheaper fares also come pesky surcharges.
Some are so skilfully “hidden” that you might not even notice them when booking
your ticket.
For the unaware, these extra surcharges could snowball into a more expensive price
tag than a full service flight!
BAGGAGE FEES
Once you’ve filled up your details, you will likely come across the first extra charge
trap: CHECKED BAGGAGE.
A 20kg checked baggage allocation (or more) may be necessary if you’re planning on going away for a long holiday. However, if you have a shorter trip on your agenda,
chances are, you probably won’t be needing all the extra luggage space.
If minimalist is your way of life and you’ve decided to go with zero checked baggage, make sure you deselect the default options twice, for both journeys, if you have booked a return flight ticket. It’s really easy to just
click next and miss this.
If you are travelling with a friend and you both
absolutely need to check-in certain items (example: more
than 100ml of shampoo), either one of you can
purchase a checked baggage allocation that you can both share. You can even split the costs. That way, you can both
save on checked baggage.
INSURANCE CHARGES
Some airlines list their Travel Protection insurance as the default option. For a
certain amount, passengers get to enjoy benefits such as flight cancellation or delay, loss or damage to baggage, and personal
accident coverage.
We do not recommend having no insurance when travelling, but if you already
have travel insurance, you can always uncheck the insurance option to save some
cost.
You can also get covered with your credit card. Some travel credit cards offer travel
insurance benefits when the full cost of your flight is charged to the card.
SEATS
Most budget airlines charge to book specific seats. And they present this to you like it’s just a standard option.
So it’s easy to accidentally pay for your seats when you really didn’t
need to.
If you are not travelling with someone that needs your assistance
throughout the flight (such as, elderly or child), forego choosing
your seats to save some cash.
IN-FLIGHT MEALS
It’s almost a given that budget flights will charge you extra for in-flight meals. However, purchasing food and drinks on a budget flight
often costs a bomb, sometimes up to a few times more than what it would
cost you anywhere else.
That said, most airlines do offer cheaper prices when you include your meals in your flight booking. That said, they still cost you more than a regular meal on ground but are notably cheaper than what you will have to pay for if you bought
them during your flight.
If you’re on a short flight and you’re keen to save a few bucks, you can always opt to have a heavy meal before the flight to avoid
paying more for food. However, this is not
advisable if you’re on a long-haul flight.
PROCESSING FEES
Some credit cards give you discounts when you shop online.
However, some airlines charge a processing fee when you pay for
your booking with credit cards, debit cards or charge cards.
Not keen on paying extra?
You can save a few bucks on processing fee if you pay via direct debit (charged as per booking). It
won’t eliminate the fee completely, but you pay less when you use direct
debit.
THANK YOU!
BROUGHT TO YOU BY SIMPLY EMPOWERING
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