At Winner, we try to give you the best Philadelphia Airport parking rates, however, that’s not always the case with the airline you’re flying, however. These days, there’s a myriad of airline fees that you could end up facing. From luggage that’s too large to making a reservation over the phone or in person, some airline fees may surprise you. Here are some of the ones that are avoidable:
Overweight/Oversize Baggage
Airlines have cracked down on acceptable luggage sizes and weights. Airline policies vary, but the average accepted size of a checked bag is usually a combined 62 inches and a maximum of 50-70 pounds. However, if your bag is larger or heavier than these standards, you could see up to $200 in fines per bag.
Unaccompanied Minor
When it comes to children flying alone, each airline’s policy is different. But with some, if your child is between the ages of five and 11 and doesn’t have someone 12-14 or older accompanying them, you’ll have to pay an “unaccompanied minor” fee of $50-$100 in addition to the cost of your child’s ticket.
Ticket Change
Unless you’re buying a refundable plane ticket, you need to be absolutely sure when you’re going to fly. Many people purchase non-refundable plane tickets because they’re about half the cost of refundable tickets. However, if you make a reservation and want to change it, you’ll face a ticket change fee of anywhere between $125 and $450.
Non-Internet Reservation
In the old days, no one made their flight reservation on the Internet; nowadays, if you don’t use the Internet to make your reservation, you could get slapped with an extra $15-$30 charge. You may also face an extra fee if you don’t print your own boarding pass and have to have the airline desk print it for you.
Carry-Ons
Most airlines will charge you to check a bag, but will allow you one carry-on bag free of charge. When it comes to low-cost carriers, however, many try to make up for their low flight prices with extra fees. Some airlines, like Spirit or Frontier, charge you anywhere from $25 to $100 simply for a carry-on bag. After that, it’s anywhere between $15 and $150 for checked bags.
Seats
That’s right - on some airlines, you’ll have to pay an extra $3-$15 just to pick the seat you want to sit in.