Airline charges criticised

Airlines are being criticised for imposing hidden charges on passengers to conceal the true cost of flights after a new report showed they accounted for up to 38.7% of carriers’ total revenue last year.

The 2015 CarTrawler Yearbook of Ancillary Revenue singled out baggage charges, booking fees and sales of in-flight food and drink as culprits.

Florida-based Spirit Airlines, which bills itself as a low-cost carrier with the tagline ‘Less Money, More Go’, was found to be most reliant on extras. It can charge up to US$100 for taking a bag into the cabin.

But Ryanair, at fifth in the list, was also highlighted, with the report noting around a quarter of its revenue – 24.6% compared to Spirit’s 38.7% – came from ‘ancillary sources’. Ryanair’s total from ‘extras’ was £1.23bn, or £13.67 per passenger.

Those above Ryanair after Spirit were Wizz Air at 33.7%, US carrier Allegiant at 32.4% and Jet2.com at 28.5%. Below Ryanair were Singapore-based Tigerair (21.8%), Jetstar (20.8%), Flybe (20.7%), Mexican carrier Volaris (19.5%) and easyJet (18.8%). The comparable figure for British Airways is 1.9%.  www.ideaworkscompany.com

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