The UK government's trading and competition authority,

Booking fees, baggage charges and a host of optional service fares are now common industry practice. Baggage fees were last year worth over $3.3 billion to the American aviation industry, while fees for reservation changes netted U.S. airlines $2.38 billion in 2011, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
As a result, ticket prices that originally appear nice value quickly rise one time an array of additional expenses are factored in to the equation.
"Additional fees for things like baggage allowance and chair choice can be above and beyond what it costs the airline (to offer these services)," says Chris Grey, deputy editor of UK-based consumer journal Which?


Most budget airlines now charge customers for items of non carry-on luggage. With the large majority of established airline industry players, item of baggage (up to a positive weight) & over on is allowed before a fee is incurred.
 U.S. airlines, Spirit & Allegiant, have recently begun to charge passengers for carry-on cases.
According to Grey, these kinds of policies are immensely frustrating for consumers who have over bag or an item of luggage deemed large for the plane cabin.
On top of that "many people have told us they mistrust the airlines' weighing systems," they adds.
John Heimlich retorts that these fees give customers more choice & could actually save them money. If customers weren't given the choice to pay for baggage requirements separately then this additional cost would automatically be added to the cost of the ticket, they says.


he UK government's trading & competition authority, the Office of Fair Trading, last week ruled that debit card surcharges must be included in the headline cost of flights.
Budget carriers including Ryanair & Whizz Air have since agreed to adjust their online booking policies to reflect this. But elsewhere the practice remains.
See also: No bag? Then airlines ought to refund fees
Flexing the plastic on Australia's Jetstar adds an additional $8.60 to flight prices, while a similar transaction with Air Asia costs $6 in card-usage fees.
Prominent industry players such as British Airways ($7) & Air France ($7) meanwhile charge for those using credit cards to make online reservations.