Passengers, Buckle Up! Airlines Roll Out More Travel Fees

How are airlines making their billions these days? Turns out, it’s thanks to you and your baggage. Shepard Smith reported that there’s more bad news for customers – the fees are only going to keep piling up. According to the Department of Transportation, airlines raked in $1.8 billion in baggage fees during the first half of this year. Carriers including Allegiant Air and Spirit Airlines now charge for carry-on luggage, with Spirit charging $100 bucks if you pay at the gate.

Passengers who want to change or cancel a flight may end up paying more. Oh, and if you want the luxury of a window or aisle seat, be prepared to open up your wallet once again. DIY, at-home ticket printing is becoming a rising new trend since … you guessed it, you could be charged for printing tickets at the airport.

Airlines say

they’re just trying to keep up with rising fuel costs. Former senior FAA official, Scott Brenner, explained that the aviation system was set up so that every time a customer bought a ticket, a portion of that price would go into the Aviation Trust Fund. The fund is used for improving things like airports, runways and traffic control systems.

However, it turns out that money from the extra fees is not going into the trust fund and the burden of cost is falling on the taxpayers. Brenner defended the fees, saying, “We’re still using air traffic control systems that came up in the ‘50s. We need better runways, we need better airports, we need a more up to date air traffic control system – and that costs money.”