Are cheap flights really cheap? Find out as we dive deep into some hidden costs associated with the lowest fare flights.
Naveen, a young businessman from Mumbai, took a flight from Delhi to London and he went for the lowest deal while booking his flight. However, right from making final payment up to completing his journey, he was met with many additional costs which he had not counted while seeing the offer initially.
With flying becoming a necessity, travellers are always on the lookout for the best prices when booking flights. This has led to an influx of low-cost airlines and a price war between airlines to garner the larger share of travellers. In fact, most booking platforms today let you filter your search by price helping you pick the cheapest ticket to your destination. However, are they really the cheapest?
Let’s look at some of the hidden costs that are often overlooked by passengers.
1. Accessibility to the Airport
The cheaper options of flightsare often scheduled during odd hours with less rush. Though great for the pocket, travel to the airport may often be an, especially for people living slightly away from the airport. Thus, ensure you also calculate the added costs of to and from the airport before choosing the desired flight.
Moreover, when travelling internationally, this can become an even more costly affair. Some countries have multiple airports with one of them being reserved for low-cost airlines. While they come with all the necessary amenities, they are usually further away from the city. Thus, check the departure and landing airport and the distance between the airports and your destination before selecting.
2. Extra Baggage Costs
The lowest fare ticket you see during your search can come with lesser facilities. For instance, some best deal flights only come with the in-cabin luggage option. Moreover, some low-cost international airlines may come with lower baggage allowance than the premium airlines. Make sure you check the baggage allowance and the extra luggage cost before sealing the deal.
3. Mile High Food
Most airlines earlier used to have a meal included in the ticket price. However, with the introduction of low-cost airlines, the rules have changed. Low-cost airlines now do not usually include food on the flight in the price of a standard ticket. Thus, you have to pay extra if you wish to have an in-flight meal. While this may not be an issue for extremely short-duration flights, counting the additional cost for longer duration flights would help you budget better.
4. Seat Selection
The cheapest option may also come with an added cost. You might have to pay for a seat of your preference while doing web check-in. While there are some free seats too, they are not the most comfortable ones on the flight. You either have to web check-in very early to be lucky or count on the generosity of the airline staff at the check-in counter to give you a good seat. Else you might have to pay extra for the seats of your choice. While this is the case with premium airlines too, the share of better seats is usually more in them, giving you a better chance to fly comfortably without shelling out extra visit the country spain .
5. Other Hidden Costs
Lastly, when booking flights, remember the standard hidden costs. For instance, most taxes are not included in the list price and would be a standard add on. However, some offers of reduced prices are only available based on some stringent conditions such as booing the return flight with the same carrier and so on, which could increase the overall costs eventually.
Better Options to Get the Best Deal on Flights
So are the cheapest flight options not good? They surely are, but you need to ensure you calculate all the hidden costs before deciding. Also, there are other ways also to save money. For instance, rather than looking for cheap flights only see how you can earn some miles or redeem them, which might give you an even better deal at times.