Hand luggage and seat selection fees: these are the sneaky costs that turn a seemingly affordable flight into an expensive affair.
One study found that these add-ons on low-cost airlines can even quadruple the cost of flights.
The report from 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 quoted as £40, but the added extras saw the price rise to £127, meaning the extra cost was 69 per cent of the final price.
Prices on some routes with Ryanair and Easyjet have more than doubled.
Researchers found that some British Airways flights turned out to be cheaper than those of Ryanair and Wizz Air, once these additional costs were taken into account.
Hand luggage and seat selection fees: these are the sneaky costs that turn a seemingly affordable flight into an expensive affair. Researchers found that some British Airways flights turned out to be cheaper than those of Ryanair and Wizz Air, once the extra costs were factored in
Which one? is now calling on the government to ensure that these additional airline costs are included in laws to crack down on sneaky ‘drip pricing’ tactics – charges that are added or ‘dribbled’ onto the advertised price.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) is expected to come into force in April 2025, but it is unclear whether additional costs beyond unavoidable booking or transaction fees will be considered covered.
For many passengers, paying for carry-on baggage or seat selection is essential, but these extra costs are often not included in the main price, making it difficult to compare the true cost of flying on different airlines.
Which one? calls on the government and regulators to make it clear that the price of any additional costs or add-ons will be shown to the consumer in advance at the start of the booking process.
The consumer champion is also calling 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
Ryanair currently forces parents traveling with children under 12 to pay for a seat next to their children, which costs £8. When? Which one? checked – although Ryanair says prices start from €4 (£3.34). Other airlines don’t always guarantee that parents can sit with the children, which can prompt travelers to pay to ensure their families can be together.
Other countries have taken steps to explicitly ban airlines from charging extra for booking seats next to children under 12.
Rocio Concha, which one? Director of Policy and Advocacy said: ‘Secretly manipulated fees can massively 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 amount to hundreds of pounds for a family.
For many passengers, paying for hand luggage or seat selection is essential, but these extra costs are often not included in the main price
‘Which one? is calling on the government to ensure that additional charges for extras such as seat selection and baggage are made clear at the start of the booking process, so that travelers can easily compare the final price they pay across different airlines. Unfair costs for parents to sit with children on flights should also be banned.’
A spokesperson for Wizz Air said: ‘As an ultra-low-cost airline, we let passengers choose which services they want to take, so we can offer the most affordable travel options across the industry. Optional add-ons are not required to fly, and we believe customers should be given the choice and flexibility to choose the right products.”
An Easyjet spokesperson said: ‘Easyjet customers only pay for the additional products they want, so we aim to give customers freedom of choice and this allows us to keep fares low.’
A Ryanair spokesperson said: ‘Ryanair’s seat choice price starts from £4, not the £8 price incorrectly quoted by Which? We do not charge “parents” to sit with children. Instead, the child seats are provided free of charge if they sit next to one parent, who must reserve a seat for a fee of €4.’
