7 Hidden Fees That Make Budget Flights Way More Expensive Than You Think

HoldenTravel2025-07-282760

If you want to travel cheaply, then budget airlines are the way to go. Cheap tickets, no-frills, you are up then down again, and where you want to be for less money than you’d pay with the more expensive airlines.

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The problem is, from the moment you pick a budget flight, airlines can try to charge you for almost everything. So, if you’re booking budget flights anytime soon, check what you could be charged before you fly. It might make more sense to go with an all-inclusive airline, as they could be cheaper than a so-called budget one loaded up with hidden fees.

Baggage Fees

If you’re having baggage checked — every budget airline charges for that luxury. However, some of them even charge passengers for carry-on bags.

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Carry-on charges: Airlines like Spirit can charge up to $65 for a carry-on bag, and Frontier can charge up to $115, unless you book online in advance.

Others like Wizz and Ryanair allow one small personal item per passenger (think a carrier bag with a few essentials or a small woman’s handbag), but not a backpack or a larger hand-held bag.

Anything too large would have to go in the hold, and that’s going to cost extra.

Weight limits and oversized bags: If you exceed an airline’s weight or size limits for carry-on or checked baggage, then that’s going to cost extra, too.

Pro Tips:

Check your airline’s specific rules of what can and can’t be brought onboard before booking.

Weigh and measure bags before heading to the airport.

This way, you won’t get there and be surprised by any charges because of what you’re carrying.

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Seat Selection Charges

If you’re traveling alone, then where you sit usually isn’t a problem unless you want a specific seat, like an aisle, window, or front row (where you’ll get more legroom).

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However, getting a specific seat is going to cost extra. Airlines can charge anywhere from $5 to $50 per seat for booking one in advance. Otherwise, you are randomly assigned one, or simply have to grab whatever seat during the boarding process.

It’s worse if you are in a family or a group that wants to sit together. There’s a good chance you’ll be separated. For families, especially with young kids, that is a deal breaker, so you are going to have to pay to make sure everyone is sitting together.

Pro Tip: Check and pay for your seat if you need to. Be a smart flyer, sometimes it’s worth paying for a bit of extra legroom, like the front row.

Booking and Payment Processing Fees

Even booking a cheap flight can cost you extra money. Maybe not a lot, but it all adds up. Some airlines charge extra for using credit cards, as American Express, or booking through certain platforms, like PayPal.

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Try to use the airline’s preferred payment methods to avoid extra charges.

Check-In at the Airport: Going To Cost You

In most cases, budget airlines want you to check-in using their apps or website links they’ll send you via email or text. Online check-in is the way forward for most airlines.

If you want to check in at the airport, then that could cost extra.

If you want to print your boarding pass (and like most of us, don’t have a printer), that will definitely cost extra. As much as $60 with some airlines like Ryanair.

Food and Drinks Onboard

Unlike premium airlines, there are usually no free snacks or drinks — even on longer flights of 10 hours or more. Your only options are to bring your own (as long as they’re within TSA guidelines) or buy what’s available onboard.

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Doing that will be expensive. You could be paying $4 or more for a bottle of water. So, make sure you’re ready for this, or have bought what you need at a supermarket on the way, because airports are expensive too!

Fees for Making Changes or Cancelling

Want to change your flight, date, or the name on your tickets? Made a simple mistake? You guessed it, all of that is going to cost extra.

Budget airlines are happy to charge $99 or more for any changes. In some cases, when a budget airline makes a mistake or cancels flights, it will leave passengers stranded with no choice but to book with a different airline.

Sometimes changes can cost more than the original ticket, so watch out! Read the terms and conditions before booking.

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Pro Tip: Double-check and triple-check all booking details before paying, and consider trip insurance if there’s any risk of plans changing.

Priority Boarding

Naturally, there are usually also charges for things like boarding early or skipping queues.

Those extra charges can be anywhere from $50 to $150, depending on the airline and how flexible (or not) they are. When it comes to budget airlines, the only “budget” aspect is the seat and toilet, for now.