Most hated travel rip-offs

From paying to change seats or simply to print tickets, booking your travel plans is often just the start of your expenses. Here are some of the biggest holiday rip-offs. Let us know which you hate the most.

Having recently returned from holiday abroad, I was once again dismayed at the number of surprise charges holidaymakers have to face.

Whether it’s the airline, the airport itself or the car rental firm, everyone wants to squeeze extra cash from you right from the word go.

While it’s true you can avoid most charges with a military-grade planning regime, it’s still maddening. You’re trying to unwind and enjoy your holiday, but instead you have to stay on your toes or risk being left hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

And the problem is only getting worse.

Since the boom in budget airlines, we’ve all become accustomed to sneaky charges, but what I’ve noticed recently is the trend for supposedly ‘traditional’ airlines getting in on the act.

As a case in point, we flew on British Airways and Air France on our holiday, and both tried to hit us with additional fees.

Here, I highlight some of the most common holiday rip-offs – why not vote in the poll below to let us know which you hate the most.

Paying to take luggage

If you’re booking your flight online – as most people do – make sure you scour the fine print.

Either ticking (or unticking) the wrong box could mean you’ve elected to travel without any luggage.

I’ve asked a number of airlines why this practice is becoming more commonplace and they tell me it’s because more passengers are requesting the service.

Whether or not you believe that response, what’s not in doubt is that you’re in for a costly surprise when you arrive at the airport. I’ve seen varying charges, but it’s usually between £60 and £120 per piece of luggage.

Or, if your bag is even 1kg overweight, be prepared to pay anywhere from £10 to £65 excess baggage.

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Paying to change seats

Once the sole preserve of budget airlines, more and more companies will make you pay extra if you aren’t happy with the seat you’ve been automatically allocated.

In our case it was British Airways, who wanted to charge £15 to sit somewhere else.

To be clear, we aren’t talking about selecting the ‘emergency exit’ seats that come with more leg room – those came with an even higher charge. To select any other seat on the plane would see us charged.

The group we travelled with were at least sat two together, so we were happy enough to stick with the seats we’d been lumped with.

But what about families with young children? Would they be happy to leave them sat alone, or would they feel forced to pay this additional sneaky fee?

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Airport currency exchange rates

It’s a rip-off that’s been around for years, and will no doubt remain for many more to come.

If you forgot to change currency before you arrive at the airport, get ready to be ripped off on the exchange rate.

Currency firms know that anyone who still needs currency at the airport has no choice but to buy there, so it’s a fine opportunity to cash in.

Paying to print tickets at the airport

Thankfully there are still only a few airlines that do this, but how long before the others get in on the act?

If you haven’t printed off your ticket beforehand, you could be forced to pay up to £70 for a piece of paper.

Being charged to get dropped off at the airport

OK, I can understand why you need to pay to park at the airport. It’s expensive, but at least you get to keep your car in a secure place. You’re getting something for your money.

Forcing people to pay just to be dropped off at the airport is another matter entirely. It might just be a small fee, usually £1 - £3, but you’re literally paying for nothing. What a con!

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Paying excess waiver on car

Once you’ve managed to avoid the minefield of the airports, it’s time to face the car rental challenge.

Most cars come with insanely high excesses. Rental firms will happily waive this excess… for a fee of. These can be extortionately high – especially if you have a longer holiday planned as the fees tend to be charged per day.

How much you pay varies greatly depending on the car, the country and the time of year, but don’t be surprised if you’re asked to pay up to £50 a day to waive the excess.

The best way to dodge – or at least cut the cost – of this rip-off is to take out care hire excess insurance before you travel. This is available from as little as £3 a day.

Being charged for not returning with a full tank

Last but not least is the fuel con.

Again the charges vary greatly, but fail to bring a car back with a full tank and you’ll be charged up to twice the price for the fuel you’ve used, as well as an extra charge of up to £20 for making them fill it up in the first place.

So there you have my roundup of the biggest holiday travel rip-offs. Which one do you hate the most? Vote in our poll below. If I've missed one, why not share it in the comments section below?

Most hated travel rip-offs – have your say