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Flying Under The Radar: Low Cost Airlines’ Hidden Costs

Written by Mint.com
Published Oct 21, 2010
1 min read
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Many travelers choose low-cost budget airlines with the hopes of saving at least some of their hard-earned dollars. Often, however, they land on an unpleasant surprise: fees and more fees, from charges for checked or even carry-on bags to price tags on what used to be free extras (blankets, pillows, meals). Anyone else wondering if we’ll soon have to pay to use the WC?

In all, once you add up the extra costs of budget airfare, you may be surprised at the scarcity of your actual savings. In this infographic, we give you a side-by-side comparison of the most common fees charged by U.S. low-cost airlines and their European counterparts.