The flight is low cost but by adding “extra” services, which aren’t that much extra, the price also increases by three-digit percentages. By adding services such as hand baggage, hold baggage and seat selection, the price of a low-cost flight “can increase by up to 363%: this is the maximum percentage increase found in our survey of five low-cost airlines”. cost”. As Altroconsumo which, in view of the summer holidays, monitored the increases relating to “low cost” flights when the extra costs for trolleys, checked baggage and seat choice are added to the initial prices, which can increase the price by up to 363%. This is in fact the maximum percentage increase found in the survey of five companies.
The association has selected six return flights for each company considered (easyJet, Ryanair, Volotea, Vueling and Wizz Air) when possible (for a total of 58 flights), with departures from Milan and Rome to national and European tourist and holiday destinations (such as Athens, Lisbon, Prague, Palermo, Lampedusa).
The simulated case is that of a person who goes on holiday and, in addition to the small bag included in the price, wants to bring with him a trolley-type hand baggage and a hold baggage. And she wants to choose the seat, so that she travels next to the person she goes on vacation with.
How much have ticket prices increased?
Altroconsumo explains that the costs of the most common additional services can be equal to almost four times the initial ticket price. In a case relating to Wizz Air, the initial price of the flight was 24.99 euros, the final price was 115.69 euros, with an increase in spending of 363%. Even for easyJet and Vueling the extra costs represent over 300% of the initially proposed cost. Even for Ryanair, explains the association, the maximum costs of additional services are substantial: they are worth more than three times the initial price, going from 14.99 euros to a final price, including the three added items, of 54.33 euros . Spending therefore increased by 262%. The maximum impact of extra costs for Volotea is more limited, however equal to almost three times the cost of the ticket initially proposed (from 51.39 euros to a final price of 145.39 euros, 183% more).
Compared to a similar survey last year, the maximum increase found is lower but for the association this depends more than anything else on the fact that this year the initial flight prices were higher compared to those found last year and therefore, for this reason, the burden of extra costs has been reduced.
Prices difficult to compare
The survey also shows that the costs for hold baggage have undergone the most significant increase. For fixed costs, however, among the noteworthy increases, there are those for oversized hand luggage. Altroconsumo found that for Vueling the maximum penalty went from 35 euros to 75 euros and for Wizz Air from 25 to 55 euros. For easyJet the penalty for oversized hand luggage is 58 euros. For Ryanair it is 70 euros. For Volotea the penalty for oversized baggage upon boarding is 65 euros.
In short, the life of travelers is hard, with tariffs that are so varied and also difficult to compare or estimate.
Altroconsumo concludes: “In itself, the fact that low cost airline rates are so fragmented it can also be positive because travelers can add only the services they need, in a personalized way. The problem, however, is that the initial price, the one you are attracted to, is much lower than what you will actually pay later, adding other extra services, often necessary and not so accessories. And Altroconsumo intends to intervene in this situation, with the aim of protect consumers’ rights travel with hand luggage, without additional costs”.
