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How to Avoid Family Sized Travel Fees

Traveling for one can be filled with fees, taxes and inflated costs. Traveling with kids has always been a bit of a head-scratcher for me. I’ve heard many horror stories when it comes to flying with children and most of it had nothing to do with a cranky baby. These tales usually center around pushy attendants and surprise fees.

family money

In one case, a friend was traveling with her almost-two year old son. The flight attendant tried to make my friend hold her son in her lap for the nearly four hour flight. A small argument unfolded as the attendant explained that the flight was over booked and they needed the seat. My friend had paid for her son’s seat and refused to hold him for the long flight when she had paid for the seat and gotten there early. She wasn’t treated very well, but the attendant did back off after she produced her son’s paid ticket.

The stories are endless and every airline is different. Some are more of an a la carte affair where cheap tickets can hide fees for every single add-on to baggage fees that will make you start stuffing your carry on to extreme capacities. I found this admission that explains why these fees are such a surprise…

The government in the United States does not require airlines today to disclose those extra fees – for baggage, extra legroom, Wi-Fi, premium seat placement or in-flight food and entertainment – to consumers upfront in their air booking fee via their travel agent. And these fees can add hundreds of dollars to the price of an airline ticket.”

[Via Yahoo Finance]

It feels like there isn’t much hope for saving a buck when traveling with family, but I promise there are ways to make it work!

*Travel During the Week – This one seems like a no-brainer, but you wouldn’t believe the demand for the weekends. It will be cheaper, faster and less stressful with smaller crowds.

*Skip Non-Stop Flights – The idea of getting on and off planes after hunting down terminals sounds harder than it is. Connecting flights are usually much easier on the wallet and, I have found, that breaking up a flight tends to keep my kids happier thanks to a break in the boredom and the chance to stretch their legs.

*Timing Counts – Some airlines offer their least expensive fares during mealtimes. Why? The hours tend to be harder to pack the plane. If you do travel with the kiddos around mealtime, make sure you bring snacks because that tiny bag of pretzels on the plane won’t cut it. Timing also factors into when you are deal hunting too! The best time to shop is early in the morning or late at night.

*Be Flexible – When traveling with your family you tend to need more seats together. If you are willing to split up, you might get better rates for 2 seats than you will for 4 or more. For example, if there are only a handful of seats left on the plane they are probably scattered through the plane – 1 seat here, 2 seats there, etc. Typically, those loner seats are cheaper. Be willing to do multiple searches using different scenarios to get a good deal.

*Follow Through – This is something I preach to all my pals when buying anything. When you are making a purchase, especially when it comes to hotels and airlines, make sure you follow the transaction through until the final checkout screen to ensure the price is the final cost. Some quotes don’t include fees or taxes and when you are shopping for prices – that can be a big deal. It also leads me to my next point…

*Cheap Seats Disguised as Deals – This can be a huge issue. Those cheap seats you found might not include things like baggage fees. If you add the average of $35 for one checked bag to the price of the ticket and factor in the swollen taxes…it ends up being a bad deal. Look at it this way – a $35 fee for each ticket/bag can add up to big bucks when you multiple it by the number of people traveling in your family. Don’t be afraid to look into bigger airlines that appear to have a higher ticket price. Jet Blue and Southwest usually include at least 1 checked bag with your ticket.

*First Class Flying Has Perks – It may seem odd to even look at those pricier seats, but on some flights first/business class have the privilege of checking bags at no additional cost. It’s rare, but out there and suddenly you have paid the same price for a cheap seat with fees and you’re traveling in a roomier seat!