NEWARK — A round-trip economy ticket from Newark Liberty to Los Angeles on United Airlines will cost you about $296.20.
But that's just the starting point.
Making the reservation by phone instead of on-line? That's another $25. Buying your ticket at the airport? There's a $35 charge. A checked bag will set you back another $25 each way. Maybe something to eat? A Thai-style wrap with grilled chicken, creamy ginger spread, sliced carrots and peppers is on the menu for $9.49. Want a little extra room? That could cost $100 each leg of the trip.
Airline fees have become a major revenue source for the industry at a time of soaring profits.
According to data released Monday by the Department of Transportation, the nation's 25 scheduled airlines collected $3.8 billion in baggage fees in 2015 and another $3 billion in reservation change fees. Other fees, such as revenue from seating assignments and on-board sales of food, beverages, pillows, blankets, and entertainment were not separately identified. But air travelers already fed up with baggage fees continue to see a growing number of hefty surcharges long before they place their seats back and tray tables in their full upright position.
Kayak, the travel search website, notes there are charges for ticket changes, pet transport and on some airlines, added fees for early boarding or even reserving a seat—an absolute necessity for those looking to keep out of the dreaded middle seat.
Spirit Airlines, which flies direct to Florida destinations out of Atlantic City, charges $10 to have an agent print out a boarding pass and $3 for a Coke on board.
"It's gotten completely out of control," complained Paul Hudson, president of the traveler advocacy group FlyersRights. "They call them optional fees, but you can't possibly avoid all of them."
Earlier this year, a British man's efforts to avoid an airline's baggage fees went viral after he dumped his suitcase and took a selfie of himself at London's Gatwick Airport—wearing a week's worth of winter clothes for a trip to Iceland.
Most airline passengers are unlikely to go to such extremes, although more are cramming as much as they can into their carry-on luggage to avoid the baggage fees that have become ubiquitous in the airline industry.
But Hudson said it has gone way beyond baggage. He noted airline fees have gone from charging a little more for extra services, to charging for just about everything.
He argued that the actual cost for most of those services can be trivial, with the fees serving only as a way of milking profit, in a year the 25 U.S. scheduled airlines reported an after-tax profit of $25.6 billion—up from $7.5 billion in 2014.
"It's deceptive because when you are pricing your airfare, the fees are not included," Hudson said. "It's like renting a car and after you signed everything, they want to charge you for giving you a key."
He added that the fees are exempt from the federal excise tax on airline fares, which takes money out of the aviation trust fund that pays for airport improvements.
PAYING FOR WHAT YOU WANT
Airlines for America, a Washington-based industry trade organization for the leading U.S. Airlines, said two-thirds of passengers prefer so-called à la carte pricing for tickets over bundled pricing—paying only for what they want.
"The model of offering customers choice and enabling them to choose what they value and are willing to pay for has enabled real airfares, including ancillary services, to remain 10 percent below 2000 levels," said spokeswoman Melanie Hinton. "Customers today are able choose among carriers and select the best service offerings, amenities and price combinations to meet their individual needs."
How United became the airline flyers love to hate
It was a trend that began more than a decade ago as carriers first began dropping free meal service, and soon followed with baggage charges and other fees.
Among the first to back away from inclusive fares, was Spirit Airlines, which called its fee schedule a fairer way to set the price of a ticket. Spokesman Paul Berry said there is a cost to everything, whether or not an airline includes it in the price of a ticket.
"We allow the customer to chose the services they want and which they don't," said Berry. "Not everyone needs to check a bag. Not everyone drinks soda or coffee. With Spirit, you don't have to pay for it unless you want it."
Spirit's pricing model looked at the cost for a seat and a personal item, because he said that's what everyone needs what they fly, and then backed out the price on everything else.
And indeed, that means everything: An advance-purchase round-trip ticket from Atlantic City to Orlando is $166.18, but that doesn't cover anything you might want to put in the overhead bin. According to the airline's website disclosing its optional fees, a carry-on bag is another $35 if paid in advance, and $100 at the gate. The first checked bag is $30 if paid during booking, jumping to $50 at the airport check-in. A specific seat request can be up to $50 more, while there is a $10 charge to have a boarding pass printed out by an agent. A bag of nuts and a soft drink will set you back another $6.
"People have labeled Spirit a no-frills airline," said Berry. "We have the frills. You just have to pay for them if you want them."
The average Spirit customer chooses to pay approximately $53 for optional items such as bags, seat upgrades and food. But according to the most recent DOT airline service quality, passengers griped more about Spirit than any other airline, with 11.56 complaints per 100,000 passengers—nearly six times the industry average.
Acknowledging there has been some frustration from people, Berry attributed that primarily those who book on third-party travel sites based on the price, without realizing the à la carte pricing schedule until they get to the airport.
Travel expert George Hobica, who operates Airfarewatchdog.com, said some airline fees are there for a reason.
"It costs them money to schlep people's luggage. They pay baggage handlers and liability and maintain baggage systems," he pointed out.
More carry-on luggage has meant longer TSA security lines. (Ben Solomon | Star Ledger file photo)Yet it has led to consequences in the cabin. More people are bringing carry-on luggage aboard, which has also led to growing security lines as TSA agents go through luggage that once went through the baggage system.
Meanwhile, it is getting tough to find space in the overhead bins—especially for those last to board. And airlines have responded, with new fees for early boarding before those bins fill up.
Hobica noted there are ways around baggage and other airline fees. Airline credit cards, which waive their annual fee the first year, typically offer a free checked bag. Frequent flyers may also escape baggage frees or get upgraded to seats with more legroom. Southwest does not charge to check bags, but customers must pay for advance seat assignments. United offers packages that will include a checked bag as well as additional space in economy, a spokeswoman said.
Some lawmakers are looking to put the brakes on skyrocketing airline fees. Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in the Senate that would limit charges that are not "reasonable or proportional to the cost of the service."
One of the sponsors, Democrat Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts, said airlines "should not be allowed to overcharge captive passengers just because they need to change their flight or have to check a couple of bags."
Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.