Airfare Expert: Airline fees are worth it during holidays
— -- You know you're going to pay plenty for Thanksgiving and Christmas airline tickets, so now may be the perfect time to check out any fee-based perks you've been meaning to try. A holiday experiment makes sense on a couple of levels:
Cost ratio: Thanksgiving tickets are almost always expensive, while prices of most perks don't change throughout the year, so your fee-to-airfare ratio during the holidays is at its lowest. Say you find a sweet deal for $100 round trip in the spring; who wants to ruin that great price with even a single penny in fees? On the other hand, if your Thanksgiving ticket is $400, what's a few bucks more? A perk like confirming aisle or window seats at booking may seem downright reasonable, especially on American where reserved seating starts at just $4 each-way.
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Stress factor: Holidays are family-travel times, and shepherding kids through crowded airports, slow security lines and hassles at the gate can be tiresome. So why not treat yourself to a perk or two? A fee for early boarding (just $10 on Southwest) can mean getting settled on the plane quickly in seats of your choice so you arrive rested and ready for the festivities.
Which fees are worth trying?
Early boarding fees for cutting in line may be worth it at any price during the holidays because of massive crowds at the airport. Many airlines bundle this fee; Delta's Economy Comfort package for example combines extra legroom, and on some flights, free beer and wine. Bundled-fee pricing varies and it's often masked from view until after you book your flight, but the domestic fees I've seen have ranged on average from about $30 to $60 one-way (and they can rise sharply). Prices usually go up or down depending on length of flight.
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Some airlines still allow you to select a bigger seat or at least a front-of-the-cabin window or aisle as a solo option; find it on Frontier for as little as $15.
If you're traveling as a group (especially with little ones), stowing a bunch of carry-ons in the cabin may seem like too much trouble, so try a checked-bag fee. Most airlines charge $25 each-way, but it's just $20 on AirTran and Frontier. Or fly JetBlue or Southwest where your checked bag is free. However, if you don't want to get bogged down in the crowds at the baggage carousel, this is the fee to skip.
Don't forget Wi-Fi fees. Most airline connectivity charges begin at around $4.95 and it'll help keep you and the kids entertained throughout an otherwise tedious trip.
Finally, do you have an airline-branded credit card? Ownership often includes some of the very perks mentioned above. Some cards have fees, some don't.
There's one fee I do not advise experimenting with: food for purchase. Bring something from home; it'll be cheaper and taste so much better.
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FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney is an airline industry insider and top media air travel resource. Follow Rick (@rickseaney) and never overpay for airfare again.
