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Do you ever feel like you are getting nickeled and dimed to death by all the additional fees and charges placed on everything associated with airline flights? If so, you are not alone.  An increasing number of airlines are adding additional costs to their services to increase the true cost of the flights they are selling to consumers.  These hidden fees make shopping around for the best price difficult and time consuming and will increase the chance that you will end up paying more than you intended for the flight you want.  Many of these fees can be avoided, but first you need to be able to identify them.

Booking Fees

• Paper Ticket Fee – This fee is charged when you choose to have paper tickets printed and mailed to you instead of using an e-ticket when purchasing a flight online.  This fee typically ranges from $50 to $75 per ticket.

• Change Fees – If you need to change the flight date or time for any reason, most airlines will charge you up to $150 to switch your flight without paying full price for another ticket.  There is no way to avoid this fee in the event of an emergency, but you should be as sure of the date and time as you can be before booking a flight.

Check-In Desk Fees

• Checked Bag Fee – This is a relatively new fee that the airlines started to charge when fuel prices skyrocketed.  The fee is charged at the check-in desk when the person checks in for their flight and will typically cost $30 or less for the first suitcase and around $25 for a second checked bag.  Avoid this fee by limiting your packing to what you can place in a carry-on bag.

• Overweight Bag Fee – This fee is charged when your checked bag weighs more than the allotted limit.  The bags are weighed at the check-in desk and if the bag is overweight, the fee must be paid before the bag will be loaded on the plane.  Avoid this fee by packing only what you need and traveling as light as possible.

Flight Fees

• Food Fee – The days of airlines serving free meals on long flights are gone and you are lucky to get a small pack of peanuts or half a soda during your flight.  The cost for food on a flight ranges from $5 for a sandwich or salad to more than $15 for a meal.  Eating before you get to the airport will allow you to curb your hunger and avoid paying outrageous airline food prices.

• Phone Fee – Using the seat phone on a flight can put a big dent in your wallet as you will be charged a premium rate per minute for your conversation.  Avoid this charge by using the payphones in the terminals to make your calls before your flight leaves and after your flight lands.