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business newsTripAdvisor Exposes Nasty Truth About Airline Fees
By
Scott Reeves Mar 02, 2009 11:00 am
Brief scrutiny of today's headlines.
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A new feature on TripAdvisor allows travelers looking for low fares to compare fees for baggage, meals and other services.
The website, owned by Expedia (EXPE), hopes to challenge Kayak, the top aggregator of travel information. Users are asked to click on the fee estimator and then asked basic questions: How many bags will be checked? Are you a member of a frequent flyer program? Would you like in-flight services? The cost of the services is then added to the ticket price and users are re-directed to other sites to buy the ticket.
Many travelers don’t think of the added fees until they’re at the airport or seated on the plane - and most airlines don’t include the new fees when passengers book a flight online. Much of the information is available -- if you dig deep enough -- but most airlines don’t provide up-to-the-minute information on fees through services such as Sabre and Travelport, the companies that provide basic fare information to online travel agents.
Many airlines are now rethinking their new fees: United (UAUA) has cut its checked-bag fee and abandoned plans to boost the fee on a second bag. US Airways (LCC) this month resumed offering free non-alcoholic beverages to coach passengers.
Detailed information will allow savvy travelers to make informed choices when buying a ticket. This should increase price competition among the major airlines.
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