Will The Airline Fees Ever Stop?

Recent years have seen airlines charge for things that used to be free. Checked bags, food and standby travel are just a few that come to mind.

RyanAir, a European value airline, announced this week that they will begin to remodel their aircraft to have coin operated bathrooms on board. They will begin charging 1 Euro or approximately $1.50 USD to answer the call of nature. Their theory is that with a charge for bathroom use more travelers will make sure they do so before boarding the plane. Their hope is that they will be able to reduce the number of restrooms from 3 down to 1 on a plane (carrying up to 189 passengers) and then be able to add even more seats.

RyanAir's average ticket cost is less than $100USD but the fees sure do add up quickly. RyanAir adds this latest charge to their long list of fee related services. They charge extra for purchasing tickets via the phone or at ticket counters, checking in online, they have an administration fee just for using their airline, checked bag fees that cost even more if you travel during the peak season, infant fees, excess weight baggage fees along with the normal ticket change fees.

Domestically, Spirit Airlines is now charging up to $45 to have a CARRY-ON bag. They are trying to encourage travelers to travel light. While RyanAir's fares are inexpensive for the marketplace, Spirit's fares are lower than most carriers but by the time you pay for your carry-on bag it is about the same as traveling another airline.

The US Government is looking into the Spirit Airlines decision to charge for carry-on luggage so not sure where that is heading. But just prepare yourself for other airlines to get involved in the carry-on bag charges too.

With the ever increasing airline fees let's all hope the high speed rail system comes along in a hurry!