Estimating Fees

We just posted on Spirit Airlines adding a convenience fee, and we thought there was more to say. And lo and behold, in searching for something relevant, we found another post by Cranky, on the subject of Tripadvisor‘s new metasearch site.

Now, we use Tripadvisor for checking on hotel reviews. Nothing like two different reviews, one from someone who stayed at a rathole frequented by prostitutes and another in a luxury hotel in a family-friendly neighborhood and discovering they are about the same hotel. You should check out their new metasearch engine. We’ll certainly be watching it.

But, as we are talking about fees, Tripadvisor is offering the first fee estimator we’ve seen, although we’re sure this will continue to grow as an idea…as fees are levied. It asks about your elite membership in frequent flier programs and the number of bags checked, even factors in snack and headphone costs, if any. Now, you can get a better idea of how much your bottom line will be after all taxes, fees, and charges.

So it is important to factor these things in. Domestically, JetBlue and Southwest don’t charge a fee for the first bag. Most of the other airlines do. Extra fees are certainly a factor in purchasing, and people may know that intellectually, but don’t always acknowledge them emotionally. And some people don’t even know them until we get to the airport. Many people do not follow the industry that closely, and learn about these things for the first time when they show up at the airport.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Living With the Airline Bag Fee (nytimes.com)