209: What to Know About Flying: Breaking Down the Airlines and Fees

Vacation Mavens

Travel is roaring back and before you jet off on spring break, here are a few things you need to know about flying. Tamara and Kim break down which airlines charge fees for baggage, carry on bags, seat assignments, and more. Be prepared and know what to expect before you book your next flight!

• Airfares are pricey this year with increased demand and increase fuel prices
• When booking airfare, keep in mind that you have 24 hours to cancel from the time of booking with U.S. carriers with no change fees and for full refunds
• Pay attention to the type of airfare that you are buying so you know what the limitations of that fare might be (such as no changes, no carry on baggage, no seat assignment, etc)
• Always look at what the airlines charge for checked or carry on bags. Southwest is one of the only airlines that includes checked bags, unless you have airline status or an airline credit card
• For airlines that charge for checked bags, it can be hard to get your carry on bag on board if you are in a later boarding group. However, they can gate check your bag for free but often you will need to go to the baggage carousel to pick up your bag
• Some airlines offer a baggage guarantee that they will have your bag out within 20 minutes, which often it takes that long to get off the plane and to the baggage claim
• It is worth buying a luggage scale to make sure your bag is not overweight (usually 50 lbs for a checked bag but some budget airlines like Spirit and Frontier have a 40 lb maximum)
• When flying budget airlines, you should pay for your bags when you book the airfare because it gets increasingly more expensive later in the process
• Many budget airlines actually charge more for a carry on bag than a checked bag
• Some airlines like Easyjet let you buy additional weight for checked bags
• Most US airlines will include a carry on bag unless you book a restricted fare (usually labeled Basic) and all include a personal item that can fit under the seat in front of you
• Carry on bags do have size limits so you can't usually expand it or it won't fit in the sizer
• For some budget airlines, you can get a deal if you buy the ticket at the airport (in advance of the flight)
• Budget airlines also charge you to print a boarding pass so either use a mobile boarding pass or print it yourself at home
• Many airlines are charging for seat selection or at least charging for premium seating positions towards the front of the plane or aisle/window seats
• Especially for family travelers, if you want to sit together you should really purchase seat assignments, especially since so many flights are completely full these days and there is very limited options for switching seats
• You should definitely select seats at booking. If no seats are available together you can try to call the airline and see what they can do. Sometimes they reserve the back row for families
• You can usually upgrade to premium class seats that would have extra legroom and better location within the plane
• When you pay for seat assignments, that is per segment, which can really add up for a connecting flight
• Some airlines also offer early boarding upgrades. If you really need to get your carry on bag on board, it can be worth it to pay for early boarding. This is also usually a perk for those that have airline status or the airline credit card. Many times the premium seats (leg extra legroom seats) come with early boarding
• If you have a tight connection, it makes sense to pay for a seat close to the front of the plane
• If you don't have a carry on bag, then it makes sense to wait until the end to board, especially if you have an aisle seats
• Recently many airlines have gotten rid of change fees, but not all so make sure you look first before booking. Just keep in mind that they may not charge a fee for changing your flight but you do have to pay the difference between the two flights
• Cancelling flights usually means you are getting a credit with a certain amount of time to use it, you won't get your money back
• Usually you don't have to fly by the expiration date, you just need to book by that date (but double check the rules)
• Alaska, JetBlue, Delta, and sometimes Southwest are known for friendlier staff than United and American
• Many airlines offer in flight entertainment but you need to bring your own device. Some have seatback entertainment, like Jet Blue that has movies and live Direct TV, but they aren't reliable and you need to bring your own headphones, which sometimes need an adapter for the headphone jack
• There isn't always consistency between the in flight experience
• JetBlue gives a good snack selection. American only serves the Biscoff cookies. Some airlines offer snack boxes for sale
• Some airlines offer WiFi for a fee but it isn't reliable or strong enough for streaming and others offer free texting (like JetBlue or Southwest)
• Budget hotels do not provide entertainment and they also charge for all drinks or snacks, including water
• If you are able to achieve status on a particular airline you can get things like upgrades based on availability, lounge access or reduced charges for lounges, early seating, and free checked bags. There are usually levels that offer increased perks