Take More Vacations by Scott Keyes

Author:Scott Keyes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harper Wave
Published: 2021-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

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GET GLOBAL ENTRY, NOT TSA PRECHECK

If you’re thinking about getting TSA PreCheck to speed through airport security lines (You should! It’s great!), opt for Global Entry instead. Global Entry—which lets you skip the normal immigration and customs lines when you get back from a trip abroad—only costs $15 more, and it includes TSA PreCheck.

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A few overarching rules to bear in mind before we discuss specific categories of fees:

First, assume nothing. If you assume that your United basic economy ticket to San Diego includes a full-size carry-on or that upgrading to main economy includes a checked bag, you’re going to have a bad time. Always read the fine print. You don’t want to wind up with a $300 flight to Europe that charges an additional $260 for a carry-on bag.

Second, not all basic economy flights are the same. For example, basic economy tickets on Delta don’t include seat selection, while basic economy tickets on Alaska do. Even within the same airline, basic economy can vary by route. United basic economy fares don’t include a full-size carry-on for domestic flights, but they do include one on flights to Europe.

Third, on many airlines, it can be cheaper to prepay for optional items. On Spirit Airlines, for instance, a full-size carry-on bag can range in price from $35 during booking to $45 during check-in to $55 at the ticketing desk to $65 at the gate. Spirit makes a substantial profit on its passengers not reading the fine print.

Last, if you’re considering a basic economy fare but want to check a bag and/or reserve seats in advance, it might be cheaper to upgrade to main economy. For example, on TAP Air Portugal flights between the United States and Europe, adding a checked bag to a basic economy fare usually costs $92 each way (yikes!) while upgrading to a main economy fare that includes a checked bag is typically around $35 each way. The price to upgrade from basic to main varies across routes and airlines, so it won’t always be cheaper to bundle, but it’s always worth checking.

With those precepts in mind, these are the three most common fees that plague flyers, and how to avoid them.

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