Ryanair Loses Appeal Against Italian Ban On Fees Hitting People Accompanying Children

Ryanair opens new tab has lost its appeal against a ban on airlines charging extra fees for seat reservations when travellers need to sit next to children under 12 or people with disabilities, Italy's Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) said on Monday.

The Irish carrier challenged the ban after ENAC introduced it in 2021. The company lost a first appeal in 2022, in a ruling that has now been upheld by the Council of State, Italy's top administrative court, ENAC said.

Ryanair Italy was not immediately available for comment.

Ryanair normally charges more to people who want to choose their seat on the plane - something that someone might do if they wanted to make certain they were sitting next to another specific passenger.

According to the airline's website, the surcharge for such a seating arrangement on a one-way flight within Italy can vary from 22 euros to 30 euros ($24.58-$33.52).

ENAC said this surcharge should not apply to those accompanying passengers who cannot travel alone, such as young children and people with disabilities.

The Council of State agreed, with ENAC quoting its ruling as saying that "the need for proximity of the seats between minor and accompanying person is clearly connected with the safety obligation" that falls upon airlines and which cannot be linked to extra costs.

At an earlier stage in the proceedings in 2021, Ryanair said the way ENAC had characterised the situation was "misleading".

A spokesperson said at the time the airline had brought in temporary adjustments to "ensure adult passengers accompanying minors or special needs passengers have several options to avail (themselves) of free allocated seating".

($1 = 0.8950 euros)

Reporting by Alberto Chiumento, editing by Alvise Armellini and Andrew Heavens, Reuters

Delta To Hike Bag Fees Ahead Of Travel Season, Joining United And American

In case you needed yet another incentive to cram all your travel items into a carry-on, Delta Airlines just boosted the cost of your first checked bag by 17%.

The increase adds $5 to the previous, and not-exactly-insignificant, $30 fee for domestic flights.

Delta is the third major US carrier to hike bag fees in the past several weeks.

Its move follows similar increases that American Airlines and United Airlines announced in February, three days apart; those high fees themselves followed fee hikes by smaller carriers Alaska Airlines and JetBlue Airways.

Major US carriers often copy one another’s pricing changes, a move that behavior analysts sometimes refer to as herd instinct.

Delta said Tuesday that the first bag checked on a domestic flight will now incur a $35 fee.

The charge for a second bag rose from $40 to $45.

Delta last raised bag fees for domestic flights in 2018.

The airline said the increase will help it keep up with unspecified rising industry costs

AP

American Airlines Raises Bag Fees, Won’t Allow Some Travel Agency Bookings To Earn Miles

American Airlines has raised the price to check a bag for the first time in more than five years and said it would limit which travel agency bookings are eligible to earn frequent flyer miles.

Passengers will pay $35 to check a first bag for domestic flights if the service is booked online in advance, or $40 if they purchase the option at the airport, the carrier said Tuesday. Both options previously cost $30. A second checked bag will cost $45, up from $40, whether purchased in advance or at the airport.

Travelers’ first checked bag on flights between the U.S. and Canada, the Caribbean or Mexico will be $35 whether in advance or at the airport.

American Airlines last raised bag fees in September 2018 along with other major airlines. Carriers are looking for ways to increase revenue as airfare has declined over the past year. The last inflation report showed airfare fell more than 6% in January from a year earlier.

“Our cost of transporting bags is significantly higher” over the past few years, said Scott Chandler, American’s senior vice president of revenue management and loyalty. “Fuel is a big component of it.”

Airlines and other companies have been grappling with how to cover higher costs, such as new labor contracts, while pricing power has waned.

Other airlines have also recently raised bag fees. This year, Alaska Airlines increased the charge for economy passengers to check bags by $5 to $35 for a first piece and $45 for a second bag. JetBlue Airways started charging most coach travelers $45 to check a bag within 24 hours of departure, up from $40. In advance, JetBlue is now charging $35 for the first bag.

“While we don’t like increasing fees, it’s one step we are taking to get our company back to profitability and cover the increased costs of transporting bags,” JetBlue said in a statement. “By adjusting fees for added services that only certain customers use, we can keep base fares low and ensure customer favorites like seatback TVs and high-speed Wi-Fi remain free for everyone.”

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines declined to comment Tuesday on potential changes to their policies. Southwest Airlines offers passengers two free checked bags.

In the first nine months of 2023, U.S. airlines brought in $5.5 billion from baggage fees — including more than $1 billion by American alone. The total was up 9% from the year-earlier period, and up more than 25% from the first nine months of 2019, according to the Transportation Department’s latest data.

American’s frequent flyer members with elite status and some American Airlines credit card holders will still receive a complimentary checked bag, it said Tuesday in announcing the changes.

The Forth Worth, Texas-based airline is also reducing fees for slightly overweight bags, so travelers will no longer have to frantically remove items from their suitcases at the check-in counter. For example, customers will pay a fee of $30 on checked bags that are as much as three pounds over a 50 pound limit, instead of the previous $100 fee.

American also said on Tuesday that it will start limiting which tickets purchased through a third party are eligible to earn AAdvantage frequent flyer miles, a move that aims to drive traffic to American’s website and the latest in a series of changes to the program. It said it will provide a list in April of preferred travel agencies whose bookings will still be eligible for the rewards credits.

Customers who buy basic economy tickets will only earn frequent flyer miles if they book on American Airlines’ website.

https://www.cnbc.com/leslie-josephs/

Airline Seat Selection Fees: It's Pay To Play

(CNN) — Historically, January has been a great time to scoop up discount deals on airfares for the year.

This year, however, would-be travelers will have to double- and triple-check search results to make sure their fares include an important element: A preboarding seat assignment.

The reality is the sign of a curious new travel trend that effectively charges passengers more money for tickets with confirmed seats. This approach to pricing has been common among low-cost carriers such as Spirit and Allegiant for ages. Now, it seems, the nation's largest airlines are giving it a whirl, too.

United was the latest big-name carrier to take the plunge: On December 14, the company unveiling a new "Preferred" option that comprises a limited number of aisle and window seats toward the front of economy on every flight. Other traditional carriers — American, Delta and Alaska among them — offer some form of upgraded fare class that includes seat assignments for a small premium.

Airlines say the moves are part of a concerted effort to diversify products and give customers more options, a pay-to-play environment in which customers who are willing to spend more receive the peace of mind that comes with confirmed seat assignments and the comfort of larger seats with more legroom.

Critics say the move is yet another push for profits at a time when other perks such as bag allowances and on-board food have been monetized.

The bottom line: Assigned seats are no longer a given with every purchase, which is a departure from how the booking process has generally worked until recently.

"Airplane cabins are a type of real estate. And as with all types of real estate, some locations are more appealing than others," said Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group, a travel industry analysis firm in San Francisco. "In a way, this is no different than how a Broadway theater or a music concert venue sells its tickets: The better seats cost more than those that are less appealing."

Understanding a trend

To be clear, most airlines still have options for travelers who don't wish to pay more for seat assignments. These are considered basic economy fares, and all major airline carriers have them in one form or another. In these cases, a passenger would purchase a ticket that gets him or her on the plane, then get a seat assignment upon check-in or at the gate before boarding.

The upside to this approach: Rock-bottom prices. The downsides: Significant baggage restrictions (in some cases, no carry-ons), and no guarantees as to what part of the economy cabin you'll sit.

These basic economy fares work for budget-minded travelers but are dicey propositions if you have specific seat preferences or you're traveling with others, according to George Hobica, creator and founder of the Los Angeles-based Airfare Watchdog, a website that tracks low fares.

"If you're traveling with an elderly parent and you can't afford to pay extra for the peace of mind that you can sit together, rules of these basic fares can feel particularly diabolical," he said. "The same is true for families with young kids, though some airlines will attempt to seat you next to your child at no additional charge."

Tickets with seat assignments eliminate this uncertainty. A recent check of the three major airlines revealed economy fare classes with confirmed seats ranged from $9 to as much as $59 more than the most basic fares available.

During peak travel times or on international flights, the differences can be even more significant.

Most airlines automatically upgrade frequent travelers who have achieved certain status levels in their loyalty programs. Everybody else must pay the difference. This could explain why some have dubbed the differences in price as "seat-assignment fees." Technically, they're not fees at all. But they feel like fees. And that hurts—especially at a time when fees represent major revenue for the airline industry.

The most recent statistics from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics indicate that U.S.-based airlines collected more than $4.5 billion in baggage fees alone in 2017—a record amount and a nearly 10 percent increase over the $4.1 billion reported in 2016.

To put that into perspective, U.S. airlines profited $15.5 billion in 2017, up from $14 billion in 2016.

Richard Quest and Samuel Burke discuss a study that found widening airplane seats by an inch helped people sleep better.

Passengers clap back

Not surprisingly, many passengers and passenger advocates have had trouble adjusting to the new reality of paying more for seat assignments.

Brett Snyder, a former airline employee who now writes the Cranky Flier blog, described the phenomenon as "effectively a money grab" on the part of the carriers. Douglas Kidd, executive director of the National Association of Airline Passengers, said "unless it involves an upgrade to a better class of service, we do not believe that seat selection charges in economy are appropriate or justified."

Then there's Caitlin Childs, a 34-year-old nonprofit executive from Northern California who experienced the new seat situation for the first time while booking a weekend trip from the Bay AAt American, spokesperson Ross Feinstein explained that the airline keeps a small number of seats on every flight open, so gate agents can respond to individual requests from passengers who haven't confirmed spots before arriving at the airport.

Ultimately, Harteveldt said the future of airline pricing may be linked to the economy, and that a slowdown could nix airlines' desires to add fees or increase prices for optional products they sell now.

"I'm not sure what's left for airlines to monetize, but where there's a will, there's a way," he said.

Matt Villano is a writer and editor in Northern California. Learn more about him at whalehead.comrea to New York.

After doing a preliminary search with online travel agencies such as Expedia and Kayak, Childs was excited to see round-trip fares for about $275 per person. Upon closer inspection, however, she realized those prices were basic fares -- tickets with confirmed seat assignments were an additional $68 each.

"I totally felt like it was a bait and switch," said Childs, who ended up spending just over $342 per ticket. "Ultimately I ate the cost but was frustrated about it."

Childs added that if the airline had done a better job of communicating from the beginning about the differences in fares, she would have felt less betrayed and would have been less irritated about paying more for tickets with seat assignments.

What's next

Perhaps better communication is on the horizon.

Delta has laid out all its ticket options on a new webpage, while United openly is preaching the benefits of "segmentation" of the passenger cabin. During a conference call with reporters around the Preferred launch in mid-December, United CEO Oscar Munoz defended the new fare class by explaining that the airline is trying to offer more products to appeal to a broader number of customers, adding that "there's certainly not a 'piss-off-the-customer-factor' in anything we do."

At American, spokesperson Ross Feinstein explained that the airline keeps a small number of seats on every flight open, so gate agents can respond to individual requests from passengers who haven't confirmed spots before arriving at the airport.

Ultimately, Harteveldt said the future of airline pricing may be linked to the economy, and that a slowdown could nix airlines' desires to add fees or increase prices for optional products they sell now.

"I'm not sure what's left for airlines to monetize, but where there's a will, there's a way," he said.

By Matt Villano, a writer and editor in Northern California. Learn more about him at whalehead.com.

Travelore Tips: Air travelers Must Commonly Navigate A Range Of Fees

(AP) Common airline fees fliers face this summer

As a record 222 million people prepare to fly on U.S. airlines this summer, here's a reminder about some of the fees fliers will face.

— Checked bag. Most airlines now charge $25 each way for a checked suitcase. Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways do not, although JetBlue is about to start charging for some types of tickets.

— Reservation changes. Airlines charge up to $200 to change a domestic ticket and that is before any difference in fare. International flights cost even more to alter.

— Preferred seats. For short flights, it could cost as little as $9 extra to get a better seat. For long-distance international flights, it could be $300. Typically, passengers pay $25 to $50 more.

— WiFi. Up to $30 a flight. Large discounts are given for purchasing it in advance with Internet provider Gogo selling one-day passes for $16.

— Other common needs. Discount airlines like Spirit, Allegiant and Frontier charge for things most fliers assume are free, like water, carry-on bag and printing a board pass at the airport. Read the fine print before booking.

Travelore News: JetBlue To Add Bag Fees On Cheapest Tickets

FILE - In this June 2, 2010 file photo, a man watches a JetBlue airplane take off from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. JetBlue Airways Corp. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014 said that it will create three ticket classes, and only the top two include at least one free checked bag. The company didn't say what the bag fee would be for the cheapest flights. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

It will soon cost you money to check a bag on JetBlue if you buy the cheapest level of tickets.

JetBlue Airways Corp. said Wednesday that it will create three ticket classes beginning in the first half of 2015, and only the top two include at least one free checked bag.

JetBlue executives declined to give a price for the bag fee, but they said pricing would fluctuate with demand. They said fewer than half of JetBlue passengers check a bag.

The airline will also add 15 seats to its Airbus A320 planes, increasing capacity to 165 from 150, and reduce average legroom to 33 inches between rows from more than 34 inches. The retrofit of cabins will start in late 2016, take two years and still leave more legroom than in the main cabins of bigger airlines, JetBlue executives said.

JetBlue expects that the new fare classes and bag fees will generate more than $200 million a year in operating income, and the extra seats will raise another $100 million a year.

JetBlue announced the changes as it met with investors in New York. JetBlue has been under pressure from investors to boost revenue.

In late-morning trading, shares of the New York-based airline were up 30 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $13.02. They hit a 52-week high of $13.48 earlier in the session.

Other big airlines have added fees on checked bags since 2008.

JetBlue's move will leave Southwest as the only large U.S. airline that allows all passengers to check at least one bag for free. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly has said the lack of bag fees has attracted enough additional passengers to more than offset money that would be raised by fees.

JetBlue also announced that it would delay 18 Airbus jets that were scheduled for delivery from 2016 to 2018 until 2022 and 2023 to cut capital spending by more than $900 million through 2017.

The news on fees and legroom comes just two months after JetBlue announced that CEO Dave Barger will step down in February and be replaced in February by the company's president, Robin Hayes. S&P Capital IQ analyst Jim Corridore praised Hayes on Wednesday, saying that the incoming CEO was showing a focus on boosting revenue and being careful on spending.

The U.S. airline industry is reaping huge profits due to full planes and modest increases in fares. Airlines have kept planes full and avoided profit-slashing fare wars by limiting their expansion plans.

Contributed by David Koenig

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