Extra fees can raise airfares by more than 50%, study finds

Extra fees charged by airlines to check bags or reserve a seat with extra legroom can increase the cost of a ticket by more than 50%.

That is a key finding of an analysis by the Consumer Travel Alliance, a nonprofit  consumer organization that studied the cost of extra fees on nine major airlines along four popular routes.

With demand for airline travel slumping because of the global recession, many airlines have in recent years tried to raise revenues by adopting new fees for services that were previously free, such as checking luggage. 

Now, a typical traveler requesting extra legroom and checking two bags on a popular domestic route can expect to pay 54% more than the base price of the ticket, the analysis found.

On a round-trip flight from New York to Los Angeles, the cost to check two bags and reserve a seat with extra legroom can increase the base price of a ticket by an average of 36%, according to the analysis.

The alliance conducted the analysis with the hope of pressuring the airline industry to make clear the cost of air travel by disclosing ancillary fees when travelers buy tickets.

"Without price transparency, air travelers have no way to find or compare the real and final cost of their tickets," Charlie Leocha, director of the Consumer Travel Alliance, said in a statement.

The U.S. Transportation Department has already proposed rules that would require airlines to clearly disclose ancillary fees when travelers purchase airline tickets. The changes may be adopted as early as this fall.

-- Hugo Martin

Photo: Passengers lug bags through Los Angeles International Airport. Credit: Los Angeles Times

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