3:58pm Thursday 28th January 2010
WITH the feel of snow still fresh, a £1 flight to the sun sounds like a dream. But the incredible promotions advertised can turn into a nightmare.
Budget airlines have more bolt-ons than Frankenstein and they’ve the bare-faced cheek to describe baggage, checking-in and even paying as ‘added extras’.
Get it wrong and your £1 flight could have more than £200 of extra charges. But know what you’re doing and it’s possible to jet off to Europe for 2p return.
Don’t pay to pay
Budget airlines charge whether you pay by credit OR debit card and don’t accept cash. They get away with this by allowing people to pay with certain pre-paid cards for free.
For almost all budget airlines, barring Ryanair, paying on a Visa Electron card is free. The cheapest pre-paid version of this is the Travelex Cash Passport card, which is free.
For a full breakdown visit moneysavingexpert.com/ budgetairlines.
Baggage charges
If you want to stow luggage in the hold, expect to pay £10-£40 per 15kg case return. Take more and the excess cost is enormous: BMI Baby charges £10/kg and Ryanair £20. There are ways to beat this: Take only hand luggage. No airline charges for this (yet). Wear your heaviest clothes. A big coat could weigh 2kg. Throw stuff away. Items like shampoo cost less to buy than the excess charge.
Check-in fees
Some airlines charge a staggering £80 per person per return flight for the ‘luxury’ of checking in at the airport. Avoid this by checking in online.
How to find the 1p flights
Budget airlines often promote fares as low as a penny each way including taxes and charges, but their websites can be scary.
To beat this: Know the sales terms. These sales are always very specific, such as only to certain destinations during a particular month. It’s crucial you are aware of the restrictions.
Use a special flight finding tool. Flightchecker.co.uk allows you to search for flights and destinations at certain prices, but doesn’t include the added extras.
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TV money guru Martin Lewis runs the consumer revenge website MoneySavingExpert.com Ensure you get his weekly e-mail so you’re constantly saving money. |
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