Are some "budget" airlines taking us for a ride?

I seem to recall that a law was passed concerning the low cost airlines and the way they advertised their fares. I thought that all of them were supposed to show their fares with all airport taxes included in the initial price to prevent people starting a booking, only to find out later on down the road how much extra this "cheap" flight was going to cost.

We currently use Jet2 from Leeds, which is by no means a budget airline. The fares are reasonably cheap, but their fares don't have the immediate pull of the £0.01 fares that Ryanair use to capture customers.

I was looking recently to see if it would be any cheaper to fly from some of the other airports by "cattle class" with some of the cheaper airlines. In February it is going to cost my Son and I £160 return (inclusive) for both of us to fly to Murcia from Leeds, which I didn't think was too bad. I took a look at Wegolo as mentioned in a previous thread and put in our requirements. The fares range from £26.99 to £39.99 one way, but the total cost amounts to £110.64 to £130.64!! Scandalous!!!

If I use the Ryanair site to try and book from East Midlands to Murcia, the flights out are £19.99 and inbound £14,99. Proceed to the next page and........ The flight becomes £127.10, almost double the cost of the original price!!!! Factor into that the petrol from driving to EMA from Leeds, plus parking- It works out cheaper to fly using the "not so budget airline" Jet2!! Add to that Jet2 still have allocated seating so it isn't a mad scramble once the gate is opened to find seats next to each other, and you aren't charged for checking in at the airport, I think I will be sytaying with LBA for the time being.

What about the other charges they sting you for? Putting a bag in the hold (I think they all do this now) and making you pay for it both ways when the bag is only going one way? A charge per person, per journey for credit card payments when you have to book online and there is no other payment method?

I would e interestedto hear other people's comments.

Mark

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Mark I agree with you 100%. We too use Jet2 Leeds to Murcia with the occasional foray from Newcastle, Manchester & East Midlands. We,ve now come to the conclusion we are as well just sticking to Leeds & not have the hassle of travelling too far from home. At least with the jet 2 website the taxes are included at the outset but then get bumped up with bag & credit card charges later on.

The only way I've found to not pay baggage charges each way is to book the return flight seperately. For example I'm flying Manchester to Murcia at Easter & taking 2 suitcases but flying Murcia to Leeds on the return & am only bringing one case back. As I had to book seperate flights I could avoid paying for 2 cases on the way back.

Have you tried changing flights as well?? Ripped off left, right & centre then!!

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Have you tried changing flights as well?? Ripped off left, right & centre then!!

Luckily we haven't had to change any flight details after booking. I did think about changing the return date, but thought that the penalty clauses would be too harsh.

Mark

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I changed my flights for Feb for me & my son to a week in June (warmer!). From memory was charged £20 per person per flight (plus credit card charges naturally ) for a flight that cost less than my original one. Thought the difference in flight cost might cover the fee to change but no such luck!

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Hey there Just thought I'd stick my nose in on this one! We've been using the skyscanner website to book our flights but have noticed recently that they are not really showing all available flights. For various dates they give us Ryanair or Thomsonfly, even though "Sleasyjet" had flights available on the same day. Naturally Ryanair came up cheapest but their service is pretty lousy! If you do use their site make sure you look elsewhere as I think Ryanair are bunging them a few quid! We've settled with EMA as we can get there in about 1 1/2 hours from Hull, think it would take us just as long to get to LBA. That's it I'll leave you alone now! Darren

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hi quesada kid.

You are much closer to Humberside. try thomson fly, we have sometimes found flights out of there quite reasonable. Next is Doncaster of course, and I have found some good flights from there, and only 3/4 hour drive. Depends how flexible you are on flight times.

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Thanks for that Jencoo. Have just had a little experiment with thomsonfly website, I think it still works out cheaper to go from EMA, but it is worth considering. Their site is another one of of those that tempt you in with cheap fares, and dump a heap of "tax" on top. I wish airlines would stop this lousy practise, just wastes everyones time! Still, however much the flight costs it's worth going out to the sun, can't wait to book the one way ticket!!!!!!

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Are they taking us for a ride... of course they are.
For several years now passengers have been referred to as Self Loading Baggage and this attitude has been adopted totally by all of the low cost airlines and the sponsoring governments.
Take Monarch for instance...
On 1st February 2008 there are seats on the Gatwick -Malaga flight for £3.99.
Add to this taxes and additional charges of  £23.69.
Add to this baggage charges (two hold bags) =£7.98

Now since my bags are not allowed to travel without me, they actually cost twice as much as me....

Only fair I suppose as someone has to actually put them on the aircraft... but hang on, doesnt this come under the heading of additional charges... So ultimately we have to ask the question...Why not put the self loading baggage in the hold and let the baggage occupy the seats above? (Think Queasyjet already do this dont they, judging by the scrimmage at the departure gates.)

Just what in the hell is going on with the world these days...

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We booked our August flights with Easyjet within hours of them being released & got 2 return tickets for £177.

Today, only 5 or 6 weeks later the same flights would cost £511.

That really is a rip-off

Noreen

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What is all the fuss about? Airlines of what ever 'denomination' are in business to make a profit, nothing unreasonable in that I would have thought? They are quite clear about what they offer and at what price, so lets look at those options: You can fly first class on a scheduled flight,  enjoy excellent food and service during your 3 hour flight, plenty of leg room, probably a movie and no surcharge for taking a case. Cost about £1200-00. At the other end of the scale you can go with a budget airline, less than £100 return, with astute booking, but everything other than your seat and hand luggage is extra, they offer appalling 'food' and no entertainment other than some shell suited women admiring one anothers tatoos and swapping tales about what little 'bleeders' there respective assorted chavies are! Then you have the in betweens I won't bore you with the details the point being we have a CHOICE! It is totally unreasonable to expect the service etc available travelling scheduled, first class on a budget airline. You pay your money you take your choice! Everybody knows what the pitfalls are of booking budget they are also aware of the cost of booking scheduled, first class, why compare the two? Take comfort in the fact that we have a choice and that air travel has never been cheaper.

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Please read the original post pooley. I made the comment that a law had been passed stating that the budget airlines should clearly list prices at point of first viewing INCLUDING TAXES. With the like of Ryanair (I will choose them as they have been rated the worst offender by Which), you have to trawl through at least three pages before you find out the cost of the flight including taxes. If I go to the Jet 2 website, this information is made available on the same page as the original price. There is no £0.01 flight plus £50 worth of taxes added a couple of pages later which means the CHOICE is made that much harder as the airlines are not competing on a level playing field.

I have never argued about paying more for extra legroom, I have complained about having to pay both ways for taking luggage when it is only going one way though.

I think your response was off on a tangent a little.

Mark

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Well Mark as you would expect I would disagree with you! Ryanair are certainly no favourites of mine and neither are Easyjet, but from time to time I use them both! Purely because of Price/Convenience of Flight Times. But to the point I was trying to make, yes we know they are a bunch of bloody charlatans but they do not have a monopoly we all have a choice! Yes I realise its sharp practise and shouldn't happen, but it does and I can't see much changing it! Any fines that could be imposed would be deemed inconsequential and compensated for by the publicity! I can just the spokesman for 'Ryanjet'

"It was just an adminstrative mix up on the web site, but doesn't detract from the fact that our fares blah blah blah!"

It is undoubtedly sharp practise and illegal and of course these people don't want a level playing field they want any small advantage they can glean; but that is alter the fact that air travel has never been cheaper and we all have a choice!

Steve

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Can i ask, has anyone any luck in reclaiming their tax for a flight that has not been taken? The budget guys dont make money on 1p flights but do make money when people dont use their 1p flight plus £10 tax, they only get charged tax for the number of pasengers on that flight(correct me if am wrong). Some of us dont use that flight but should be refunded the tax we have paid. Has anyone any experience.

 

thanks

 

simon

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Hi Simon

We didn't use a Jet 2 flight a few years ago due to a relatives ill health & obtained a refund through the insurance co. They wouldn't refund the tax so we claimed this back from Jet 2. At first they wouldn't refund but due to A LOT of perseverance they eventually refunded. Most people would have given up by the time they refunded, but they hadn't come up against my husband before!!

Don't know if this is any different to just decideing not to use the flight though.

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Thanks Annie, i dont need to but thought it might help anyone for future,

 

Simon

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Hello All

I just had that same thing booking a flight to Salzburg with ryanair, started out cheap then you add bags and taxes and I decided as I had the choice to fly BA as it was £30 dearer but we dont have to enter the scrummage. Unfortunatley we usually fly into Gibralter with BA but now it seems Easyjat have bought the franchise and we no longer have a choice. There is always Malaga I supose, but not everyone wants to do the herding and scrummage thing, People turn into animals. No wonder its called cattle class. Ok I finished my rant now, just looking forward to getting back out there on Tuesday.

Jenny

T

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