These Airlines Charge The Most Extra Fees Per Passenger

Flying with a discount carrier usually comes with one or multiple hidden costs. You have to read the fine print when flying with Spirit, WOW, or Norwegian, as the eye-watering, low-cost fares almost always suggest that there’s a furtive, price-gouging business model lurking in the shadows. After all, it’s not likely that an airline hawking $150 flights to Europe can stay in service without charging you for extra legroom.

It turns out though, according to a study from the aviation consultant IdeaWorks Company, that “ancillary fees” -- the annoying, unforeseen costs levied for additional services on flights -- have skyrocketed in recent years. In fact, total ancillary fees collected by the top ten airlines crested $28 billion in 2016, up from $2.1 billion in 2007, proving the power of headline-garnering double-digit fares and flash-sales promising to whisk you somewhere quick on the cheap.  

IdeaWorks combed through a variety of data pertaining to 166 airlines, including “annual reports, investor presentations, financial press releases, and quotes attributed to senior executives,” to find the top ten carriers notorious for nickel-and-diming their clientele.

The first list shows the top 10 airlines with the highest amount of ancillary fees charged per passenger for last year. No surprises there: as the notoriously unreliable and penny-pinching Spirit Airlines leads a pack of similarly parsimonious airlines, with a few major carriers like Korean Air, Alaska Air, and United also cropping up.

  • Alaska Air: $31.41
  • Korean Air: $32.59
  • AirAsia X: $34.41
  • Virgin Atlantic: $42.25
  • Qantas: $42.38
  • Jet2.com: $42.46
  • United: $43.46
  • Frontier: $48.60
  • Allegiant: $48.93
  • Spirit: $49.89

As ancillary fees -- which IdeaWorks defines as “revenue beyond the sale of tickets that is generated by direct sales to passengers, or indirectly as a part of the travel experience” -- have become more commonplace, airlines have become reliant upon these charges for generating much of their total revenue. For the unwitting patron, it's kind of a nefarious business model.

The second list shows the top 10 airlines with the highest percentage of ancillary fees as part of their total revenues, and welp, Spirit leads the pack yet again.

  • Pegasus: 22%
  • Jetstar: 22%
  • Hong Kong Express: 24%
  • Volaris: 24.3%
  • Jet2.com: 26%
  • Ryanair: 26.8%
  • Wizz Air: 39.4%
  • Allegiant: 40%
  • Frontier: 42.4%
  • Spirit: 46.4%

Money collected for frequent flyer programs was included in IdeaWorks’ definition of ancillary fees, although rewards programs form a much larger revenue source for bigger, legacy airlines such as United, Delta, and American. And it probably goes without saying that you might not be looking to a budget airline with an iffy reputation if you’re consistently racking up miles.

[Time Money]

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Esquire. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.