Travellers 'Urged to Beware Hidden Costs'
http://www.articleland.com/articles/89978/1/Travellers-Urged-to-Beware-Hidden-Costs/Page1.html
Sam Gooch
UK Price Comparison website Which4U - Compare Credit Cards, Savings Accounts, Fixed Rate Bonds, Bank Accounts, ISAs, Loans, Mortgages, Insurance, TV & Broadband and Gas/Electric bills to find the best UK deals By Sam Gooch
Published on 08/13/2009
Despite the falling cost of travel, those going away are being reminded to make themselves aware of the various expenses that jetting off can incur.
Travellers 'Urged to Beware Hidden Costs'
Despite the falling cost of travel, those going away are being reminded to make themselves aware of the various expenses that jetting off can incur.
Although the cost of air travel has fallen over recent years that should not be an excuse for people not to take steps to make the most of their money, one industry commentator suggests.
In an article for Lifehacker, Angus Kidman points out that although "air travel is cheaper than ever", holidaymakers who have been able to secure a low-cost flight may find this is "rarely the end of the story".
Once the likes of taxes and baggage fees have been taken into account, Mr Kidman claims "your cheap fare may not be quite so cheap".
As an example of this, he points out taxes come to around $50 for domestic travel. However, those looking to go overseas could find such costs "ratchet up into the hundreds".
However, he does put forward a number of tips for savings, including for those looking to use a credit card to pay for their journey.
Although the majority of airlines will charge a fee for those paying by card, he suggests this can be avoided if a BPAY or some other form of "direct from bank account" payment option is plumped for. However, such charges - which often come in the form of a fixed amount per passenger or as a percentage of the total amount charged - may be unavoidable should consumers fly with a non-domestic airline.
"Tickets charged in a foreign currency will also incur a conversion fee on most credit cards, though there isn't much you can do about this in practice," he points out.
One way in which borrowers could find they can get to grips with the cost of air travel effectively is by using a card offering an interest free period on purchases.
Baggage fees and the cost of getting to and from the airport are other expenses consumers may want to bear in mind.
However, one travel expense people are against having to pay is to use toilet facilities while flying, as a recent Totaltravel.com study showed nine-tenths of Australians disagree with this concept, which has recently been suggested by European airline Ryanair.
Although the cost of air travel has fallen over recent years that should not be an excuse for people not to take steps to make the most of their money, one industry commentator suggests.
In an article for Lifehacker, Angus Kidman points out that although "air travel is cheaper than ever", holidaymakers who have been able to secure a low-cost flight may find this is "rarely the end of the story".
Once the likes of taxes and baggage fees have been taken into account, Mr Kidman claims "your cheap fare may not be quite so cheap".
As an example of this, he points out taxes come to around $50 for domestic travel. However, those looking to go overseas could find such costs "ratchet up into the hundreds".
However, he does put forward a number of tips for savings, including for those looking to use a credit card to pay for their journey.
Although the majority of airlines will charge a fee for those paying by card, he suggests this can be avoided if a BPAY or some other form of "direct from bank account" payment option is plumped for. However, such charges - which often come in the form of a fixed amount per passenger or as a percentage of the total amount charged - may be unavoidable should consumers fly with a non-domestic airline.
"Tickets charged in a foreign currency will also incur a conversion fee on most credit cards, though there isn't much you can do about this in practice," he points out.
One way in which borrowers could find they can get to grips with the cost of air travel effectively is by using a card offering an interest free period on purchases.
Baggage fees and the cost of getting to and from the airport are other expenses consumers may want to bear in mind.
However, one travel expense people are against having to pay is to use toilet facilities while flying, as a recent Totaltravel.com study showed nine-tenths of Australians disagree with this concept, which has recently been suggested by European airline Ryanair.