Flying is cheaper than it used to be. Adjusted for inflation, a ticket from LA to Kansas City cost $575 in 1955, compared to a couple hundred bucks today. Flights are more affordable these days, but pretty much everything costs extra. Here’s how to get around those fees, especially the hidden ones.




Avoid Baggage Fees With Smart Packing and Airline Credit Cards

If I think hard enough, I can remember when checking luggage was free. These days, almost all airlines charge extra if you check a bag rather than just carry it on your flight.


TripAdvisor has a full list of baggage fees by airline here, and prices typically range from $25 to $75 for the first bag. Delta, United, and Virgin all charge $25 for the first checked bag on domestic flights, for example. Discount airlines like Spirit typically charge more. Their checked baggage fee starts at $30 and increases depending on the weight. Southwest Airlines is one of the few to offer a free checked bag (the third one costs $75, though).

Some airlines will waive this if you have a co-branded credit card. For example, if you have the United Explorer card or the Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage card, your first checked bag is free. If you have an airline-branded credit card, check your terms to see if they include this perk. If you don’t have a card and you travel with an airline frequently, it might be worth applying.

Of course, the most obvious way to get around this fee is to not check luggage at all and pack everything into one carry-on. The skivvy roll is one of my favorite methods for doing this. You pack your outfits into one compact, convenient roll, and if you do it right, you’ll avoid wrinkles, too.


There are plenty of tips and tricks for squeezing everything into one bag. However, there are a couple of downside to this. For one, there’s only so much overhead bin space. You’ve probably been on a flight where the cabin bins have filled up and passengers are forced to gate check bags whether they like it or not. If you’re one of the last to board, your carry-on may get checked for free, which is awesome if you were planning to check it anyway. However, if you don’t want the hassle of waiting for your luggage when you land, you’re out of luck. So the situation can be a pain for a lot of travelers.


Second, depending on the airline, this method can be pointless, because many of them charge for carry-ons, too.

Pay Early or Pack Light to Cut Carry-On Fees

Spirit Airlines is known for their notoriously low prices (and their terrible attitude toward customer service, but that’s another story), but they make up for their deep discounts in fees they pass along to you.


While personal items—like a purse or a laptop bag—are free, a larger carry-on will cost you $25-$100, depending on how early you pay. See how the rate varies when you pay for your carry-on at booking versus at check-in (or worse, at the gate):




Pay in advance and you’ll at least reduce the amount you pay. If you pay at booking, you’ll pay $65 less than you would last minute. $35 still seems steep for a carry-on, but keep in mind: that’s why Spirit flights are cheap.

Prices also drop if you’re a member of their $9 Fare Club, which actually costs about $60 for the first year. The Fare Club also gives you access to cheaper flights, but it’s probably not worth joining just to save on fees, because the fees aren’t even waived—they’re just cheaper.


If you’re an extremely light packer, you could try to fit everything into your personal item. I fly with Spirit when I visit my parents in Texas. I have clothes and toiletries at their place, so I just pack my laptop and a small purse into a backpack, and that counts as my personal item. Obviously, this isn’t possible for everyone, but it’s a simple way to get around the fee.

Skip Seat Fees By Waiting Out the Selection

Yes, some airlines even charge for the luxury of picking a seat. It doesn’t even have to be a fancy First Class seat. Spirit charges between $1-$50, depending on the route. Allegiant charges up to $80 for some flights. And, of course, most airlines charge a small fee for “premium” seats in front of the wing, or in exit rows. Airfarewatchdog has a long list of seat booking fees here.


It’s hit or miss, but to get the best seats, you might skip the preselection altogether. Travel writer (and Lifehacker alum) Erica Ho explains how this works:

...the seats in the front of the cabin are usually reserved until the very last minute. Gate agents will dip into this bucket to seat passengers if there are no other options left on the plane. They can’t charge you for something you didn’t “want.” That’s where the magic of not picking a seat comes into play: as people check-in, they’ll just grab any remaining seat. With luck, the gate agent will run out of normal seats and push you up front.


Ho explains her own experience doing this. As she postponed, the seats kept getting better. This has happened to me, too, but it’s also backfired—I’ve gotten a really bad seat from not booking early. As Ho points out, this typically works best when your options are already terrible and you can’t do any worse.

If you’re a member of the airline’s rewards program, you might be able to get a better seat for yourself, but not for a companion. The Points Guy suggests you call the airline and ask them to move your companion into a preferred seat. It never hurts to ask.


Use Your Phone as Your Boarding Pass to Avoid Printing Fees

Most airlines won’t charge you for this, which is why it’s always a surprise when some do. Spirit charges you $10 to print each boarding pass with a gate agent, so make sure to do it online or at their kiosks.


Similarly, Ryanair requires passengers to check-in online. If you check-in at the airport, it’ll cost you €45 ($51) just to check in and another €15 ($17) to print your boarding pass. You could (and should) just download their app, which allows you to check in with your phone, for free. This isn’t limited to just discount airlines either—you’ll save time and money by just using your phone to check in, and as your boarding pass.

Pay in Advance and Find Coupons to Save on Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi isn’t exactly a hidden fee, but it’s one you can get around if you plan accordingly. Most of the major carriers offer Wi-Fi on many, if not all, of their flights, and fees range from $5-$50, depending on how long you use it and how you access it. Here’s a list of Wi-Fi costs by carrier.


Our own Adam Dachis says one of his favorite hacks for paying less for Wi-Fi is pretending your laptop is a phone. Most browsers let you change your user agent, so you can identify as a mobile device. This is meant for developers to test stuff, but you can also use this option to get cheaper in-flight Wi-Fi. Change your user agent, get the lower mobile price, then switch back after you pay.

If that’s too clandestine for you, you can still save some cash if you pay in advance. Gogo offers a few passes that are cheaper if you buy them before your flight. For example, you can nab an all-day pass for $16, and that’s typically much cheaper than purchasing your pass in-air.




What’s more, you might be able to find coupon codes. Sites like RetailMeNot will list promos and vouchers for Gogo, for example. If you’re a T-Mobile customer, you can get an hour’s worth of Wi-Fi for free. In fact, some apps may work for free even if you don’t pay for Wi-Fi. It’s hit or miss, but worth a shot before you fork over the cash.


You may have to pay extra for amenities these days, but the good news is it’s cheaper than ever to fly. And with a little preparation, you can skip many of the additional fees.



Illustration by Sam Wooley.