Carry-on baggage and seat selection fees: These are sneaky costs that turn a seemingly cheap airfare into an expensive affair.
One study has found that these add-ons on low-cost airlines can actually quadruple the cost of flights.
The Which? found that these extras increased the price of a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Lyon from £29 to £124 per person. And a Wizz Air flight from London Gatwick to Milan was listed at £40, but the added extras meant the price shot up to £127, meaning the additional fees accounted for 69 per cent of the final price.
Prices on some routes with Ryanair and Easyjet more than doubled.
Researchers found that some British Airways flights were cheaper than Ryanair and Wizz Air flights once these additional costs were taken into account.
Carry-on baggage and seat selection fees: These are sneaky costs that turn a seemingly cheap airfare into an expensive affair. Researchers found that some British Airways flights were cheaper than Ryanair and Wizz Air once additional costs were taken into account.
Which? is now calling on the government to ensure these additional airline fees are included in laws that crack down on sneaky “drip pricing” tactics – charges that are added or “drip” onto the advertised price.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024 (DMCC Act) will come into force in April 2025, but it is unclear whether additional charges beyond the inevitable booking or transaction fees will be considered covered.
For many passengers, paying for carry-on luggage or seat selection is essential, but these additional charges are often not included in the main price, making it difficult to compare the true cost of flying with different airlines.
Which? is calling on the government and regulators to make it clear that the price of any additional fees or add-ons is shown to consumers in advance at the start of the booking process.
The consumer advocate also calls for a ban on charging parents to sit next to their children on flights.
A report from Which? Extras found increased the price of a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Lyon from £29 to £124 per person
Currently, Ryanair requires parents traveling with children under 12 to pay for a seat next to their children, which costs £8 when Which? checked, although Ryanair says prices start from €4 (£3.34). Other airlines don’t always guarantee that parents can sit with children, which can lead travelers to pay to ensure their family can be together.
Other countries have taken steps to explicitly prohibit airlines from imposing additional costs for reserving seats next to children under 12 years of age.
Rocío Concha, which one? Policy and Advocacy Director, said: “Stealth fares can hugely change the final price people pay for goods and services and this is particularly true for flights, where the difference between the advertised price and the final fare can Easily fetching hundreds of pounds for a family.
For many passengers, paying for carry-on luggage or seat selection is essential, but these additional charges are often not included in the main price.
‘Which? is calling on the government to ensure that additional fees for add-ons such as seat selection and baggage are made clear from the start of the booking process, to ensure travelers can easily compare the final price they will pay with different airlines. Unfair charges to parents for sitting with their children on flights should also be banned.’
A Wizz Air spokesperson said: “As an ultra-low-cost airline, we enable passengers to choose which services they wish to purchase in order to offer the most affordable travel opportunities in the industry.” “No optional add-ons are required for flying and we believe customers should be offered the choice and flexibility to choose the right products.”
An Easyjet spokesperson said: “Easyjet customers only pay for the ancillary products they want, so we aim to give them choice and this allows us to keep fares low.”
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “Ryanair seat selection pricing starts at €4, not the £8 price misstated by Which? We do not charge ‘parents’ to sit with children. Rather, Children’s seats are provided free of charge when sitting next to a parent, who must reserve a seat for a fee of 4 euros.’