1. Your seat is not guaranteed.
Most airlines overbook flights to compensate for last-minute cancellations. Just because you show up at the airport with a ticket reservation doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll end up on your intended flight. Travelers who get involuntarily bumped aren’t necessarily entitled to any “compensation” – especially if the airline arranges substitute transportation that gets you to your destination within one hour of your original scheduled arrival time. According to U.S. Department of Transportation rules, if you arrive an hour or more later, the airline is required to pay you, up to a maximum of $800, depending on the price of the ticket and length of delay.
2. Customer service is seldom a top priority.
Airline companies all offer about the same lousy service – making a lot of customers miserable these days.
3. Miles matter.
If airlines could be said to cater to anyone’s needs, it would be those of the people in the top tier of their frequent-flier programs — many of whom fly for business and therefore buy the most expensive tickets.
Favored fliers typically get the first crack at upgrades – and in many cases, reservation centers answer their calls on the first ring. They often get special bonus-mile offers and free upgrades. While some airlines are increasing fees associated with frequent-flier programs, members still have perks like first-class check-in (for shorter lines through security) and early boarding.
4. Credit Card air miles are usually worth less than you think.
Air miles are easy to accrue, but they’re getting harder to use. Some airlines have reduced the shelf life of air miles, while others have increased the amount required for an upgrade.
5. Deals are not always what they seem.
Airlines pay online booking sites a commission for the tickets they sell. Airlines prefer that you book directly with them, so they often feature promotional codes and special deals exclusively on their own web sites.
Consumers can find helpful deals on airlines’ sites, but they should also compare pricing there with what the other sites are offering. Travelers might find the lowest fare by booking two separate airlines for each leg of their trip, but they’re unlikely to be informed of that when they book a ticket on an airline’s site.
6. Additional fees are almost always added.
Listed ticket prices seldom include additional fees that are often added at the end of the booking process, when buyers are less likely to change their mind.
The most common fee these days is for checked bags. United now charges $23 to $25 for the first bag a traveler checks in at the airport, and $32 to $35 for the second. Passengers who reserve a seat on Spirit Airlines pay $15 extra for an exit row seat. And Allegiant, a low-cost airline that provides service from cities like Missoula, Montana, charges $19 just to book a ticket online. Some airlines have fuel surcharges, which vary in price depending on many factors, including the length of the trip.
Even frequent-flier programs, which are supposed to let you book “free flights,” have added fees for things like booking too close to your travel date. American Airlines charges fees for flights booked with less than 21 days advance notice for people using frequent flyer miles. Passengers booking a flight just seven to 20 days before takeoff can incur a fee of $50 fee or more, and those who book between two hours and six days before departure can incur a $fee of 100, minimum. In addition, there’s a $10 security service fee that’s collected on roundtrip airfare for passengers boarding in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
7. No one understands the pricing.
Most domestic flights are divided into coach and first or business class. International flights are divided into first class, business, and economy. But when it comes to pricing, there are often around a dozen or more different price points for seats on each plane. The biggest factor, beyond basic costs like fuel and labor, is competition. Airlines track one another’s fares, then try to determine how many business travelers, who generally pay a premium for flexible tickets, are likely to book a flight. On routes with lots of business travelers, seat prices can stay high because airlines know they’ll book seats at the last minute. As each seat sells, the prices of others fluctuate. Domestic fares can change up to three times a day during the week and once on weekends.
But prices don’t only go up. A number of factors can cause prices to fluctuate months or even hours before a flight takes off. If demand from business travelers is lagging, prices may fall as the flight time gets closer. If that happens and the fare drops by the time your flight leaves, you can get a voucher from a number of airlines for the difference between what you paid for the airfare and the lowest price it dropped to. Customers can get this refund if they bought published airfare either directly from the airline or from most price-comparison sites. Some airlines will assess a fee with this refund, but customers should still ask for the full amount. JetBlue doesn’t deduct a fee; instead it puts the difference into a credit, which a customer can use toward airfare within 12 months.
8. Planes can make travel uncomfortable – and costlier.
Older aircraft are maintained to high safety standards – but they can cause more delays due to last-minute mechanical problems, and they guzzle fuel, a cost that filters down to customers. Seating room is minimal, in-flight entertainment is mediocre or nonexistent, and meal service is unlikely.
9. The system is broken.
If bad weather rolls in, delays increase and spread across the country.
