How to beat rip-off travel charges and fees.
Whether you're an independent traveler or simply want a cheap family getaway, it's getting harder avoid hidden charges. Even British Airways is getting in on the act. The "world's favourite airline" used to boast that the price you saw when booking was the price you paid - but no longer. Passengers wishing to secure an exit row berth could now pay as much as £50 above the standard ticket price for the privilege.
BA isn't the only operator to levy such charges - indeed, Ryanair's 'optional' fees are the stuff of legend - but it's a modern truth that the cost of a holiday can be far higher than the headline price. Discover some of the flight operators' and banks' favourite tricks - and how to beat them.
1: Hidden fare charges
Just because a budget airline advertises free flights, it doesn't mean you'll necessarily fly for nothing. Taxes and extra charges can push up the true cost significantly: Ryanair is renowned for this, charging £6 for priority boardfing, £30 to check a bag in the hold... and so on.
Yet you can really fly for nearly-free - if you're adaptable and armed with the right credit card. Firstly, to minimise flight taxes, be flexible on your flight times - on budget airlines, flights departing on Saturday morning and returning on Monday are always much cheaper than peak Friday-to-Sunday deals. And if you can get time off, flights departing on Wednesday or Thursday are usually the ones that are almost-free.
To beat baggage charges, simply take hand luggage only and wear your heaviest coat and shoes for the flight. Be aware too of hand luggage limits - most airlines give you a 7kg limit and Ryanair offers just 10kg. If you exceed the limits on any budget airline, you're likely to be hit with a surcharge for each extra kilo - and an embarrassing scene at the check-in desk.
Finally, don't just consider budget airlines - this year has seen many European carriers including Lufthansa and Alitalia offer one-way no-strings flights for as little as £50. Hot deals are often advertised on sites such as Travelzoo while so-called "skyscraper" websites such as Skyscanner search 100s of travel websites to find the cheapest deals. Be aware, however, that Ryanair are often omitted from the search results.
2: Card charges
The extra fees and charges don't end when you've finally found your flight - now you need to watch out for credit card surcharges, levied on flights and package holidays. These cover the cost of processing credit card payments and can be as high as 2%, adding £20 to the cost of a £1,000 holiday. In most cases, you can avoid these by paying with a debit card - there are no transaction charges for using Switch or Maestro.
Did I say in most cases? I forgot - with (you've guessed it) Ryanair, it's harder to avoid card fees, as it levies a fee of £5 per passenger for most debit and credit cards. Yet Ryanair's website currently states that "as a special offer to Visa Electron card holders, Ryanair, for a limited period only, will not apply a debit card charge." So, where do you find them? You could currently open a new current account with Halifax, or simply get a Visa Electron pre-paid currency card from a bureau de change such as Travelex.
There's one last important consideration to bear in mind. Under Section 75 of the Credit Card Consumer Protection Act, you'll usually receive full refund rights from £100 to £30,000 from your credut card provider if anything goes wrong. However, if you book your flight from a travel agent, you're unlikely to be able to get any money back if the airline delays or cancels the flight. This is due to a quirk under which the travel agent was supplying the ticket and not the flight - as thousands of Zoom customers discovered to their cost.
So - the rule of thumb is: use Visa Electron cards for flights under £100, while for more expensive flights, use a credit card to ensure you're fully protected.
3: Currency conversion charges
Currency conversion charges can also hit you in the pocket. First of all, shop around for travel money before you leave - and check for both the best exchange rate and the lowest commission before you commit. The Post Office is currently offering 0% commission and attractive rates on 70 currencies when you order online, while Tesco and Travelex are both currently offering a rate of 1.063 Euro to £1 for online purchases. But whatever you do, never buy currency at the airport - the rates are the worst on offer.
Also, be card smart: most credit and debit card providers charge customers extra for using cards overseas. For example, a cash withdrawal with a typical credit card will incur a 2% ATM fee (min £2) plus a 2.75% transaction fee, meaning 10 withdrawals of €50 each would cost an extra £31.75 in fees. Fortunately, there are alternatives - the Santander Zero card has no foreign exchange loading fees anywhere and uniquely it doesn't charge a fee for withdrawing cash. Two other credit cards with no loading fees within Europe are the offerings from the Post Office and the Nationwide Gold card.
If that's too much like hard work, again, an easier alternative might be to take out a pre-paid currency card. Offered by Caxton FX and FairFX, these cards come with no purchase or loading fees, low ATM fees, and can be topped up by debit card online or by phone. They also offer some of the best exchange rates around - the Caxton FX pre-paid card currently offers a table-topping £899 to 1000 Euro for both purchases and withdrawals.
Finally, say 'no' to "dynamic currency conversion". If you use your debit or credit card in an overseas retail outlet, it might give you the option of paying either in the local currency or sterling. If you choose sterling, the purchase will incur a conversion rate set by the retailer or ATM provider which is unlikely to be as competitive as that set by your bank. Always opt to pay in the local currency.
Compare credit cards at lovemoney.com