H A ow to bag a lowt

Jo Chipchase examines how to economise on air travel between England and Spain.
booking process. One such method is to add an admin fee to the transaction. Another is to encourage the passenger to add extras such as checked bags, hot meals and travel insurance. It is often best to book the basic flight and then add extras later, if required. On most booking systems, changes to the flight itinerary can be made up to three hours before departure. Recently, some budget airlines have segmented their fares into the basic (seat only) offering and upgrade packages that bundle popular additions such as checked bags, advance seat selection and speedy boarding. These packages cost more than the basic offering but can be useful for passengers who definitely require a few frills.

arking back a decade, before fuel costs spiralled and the airline industry became fixated on ancillary revenues (money raised from non-ticket sales), a cheap flight was truly low-cost and the price quoted on the booking cart generally resembled what the passenger paid before embarking. These days, with hidden fees built into airlines booking carts, extra charges for carrying infant and sporting equipment, excess baggage fees and strategies to sell goods on-board, a cheap flight between the UK and Spain can end up costing more than expected. Whether you choose to fly with Aer Lingus, easyJet, Jet2, Flybe, Monarch, Thomson or controversial Irish airline, Ryanair, the budget carriers have much in common. So how do you find a good deal and avoid common pitfalls that can empty your purse?

What package?
At present, Easyjet offers a Flexi Fare that allows for unlimited date changes to a flight (ideal if your itinerary is subject to alteration) as well as including 20kg of checked luggage, speedy boarding and advance seat selection. Monarch offers its Essentials package that comes with a 20kg hold bag and online check-in. The more expensive Extras package allows for a 23kg checked bag and an extra-legroom seat. Flybe has a New Economy package, which allows a 20kg hold bag, advance seat selection and date change. Aimed at business travellers, its Plus package offers more benefits for a higher price such as an extra 20kg hold bag (giving 40kg of checked luggage), a changeable ticket, fast track security, meal and drink on-board and airport lounge access. To choose the right bundle, before booking, assess carefully what you need.

Todays airline booking carts

During the past few years, budget airlines have been criticised for hiding sneaky charges in their booking carts and for charging passengers up to 13 to process card transactions. With exorbitant card processing fees outlawed by the European Commission (EC), the airlines constantly seek new ways to profit during the

Martino Matijevic of global flight search engine WhichBudget.com

Finding a cheap deal

Although flight comparison websites only show the basic fares, they can identify a cheap deal on your chosen route. Martino Matijevic (above) of WhichBudget (www.whichbudget.com), a leading global flight search engine, says the cheapest fares from UK to Spain are booked five to eight weeks in advance and are found by searching on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, early in the morning. When youre comparing flights, dont be fooled by the initial flight cost. You must calculate the flight plus booking fees, taxes, baggage fees and card processing fees to obtain the real cost. Ryanair is notorious for almost doubling the price within the booking cart.

Some booking carts, such as easyJets, show a month view so you can identify the cheapest flights. Here, again, it is best to avoid expensive Friday flights: Tuesdays and Wednesdays are cheaper. Fares rise phenomenally during official UK school holidays, which is bad news for parents of school-age children. Advance planning always helps. Dagmar Dua, press officer at easyJet, advises: At easyJet, the further in advance you book, the cheaper the flight price. When finalising a booking, check your personal details carefully. A simple oversight, such as the name on the booking cart not matching that on your passport, can lead to a hefty fee (of up to 160) at the airport. Dont put Andy if your name is Andrew.

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For expats based in Spain, one question is: Am I better to pay for my flight in sterling or euros? Often, the answer lies in the individual carriers booking cart. Some booking carts allow you to switch between sterling and euros, so assess both prices. If the prices are equal and you have a UK payment card, choose pay with sterling to avoid any foreign currency transaction charges. Similarly, with Spanish debit cards, it is usually best to pay in euros.

BARGAINS FLIGHTS

C
Controversial Ryanair boss Michael OLeary.

Before check-in
Some airlines, such as easyJet, require the passenger to provide Advance Passenger Information (API) before check-in. Others insist that the passenger checks in online and prints their boarding pass pre-flight: failure to do so can result in a penalty fine at the airport. While Jet2 charges 17.50 for printing a boarding pass an arbitrary fine, applied inconsistently Ryanair charges a whopping 60 per passenger. This practice was the subject of a news story in August 2012 when passenger Suzy McLeod complained via the Ryanair Facebook page that she had been charged 300 to print her familys boarding passes. She won widespread support from other Facebook users. Ryanair head honcho, Michael OLeary, later branded her an idiot. Dont give OLeary and his cohorts a reason to charge you extra! Before embarking, ensure that you know the exact rules for your particular airline where documentation and luggage are concerned (these can be checked at www.budgetairlinewatch.com). Ryanair, in particular, charges 20 per kilo for excess baggage. It could be worse if youre apprehended at check-in or the departure gate, asked to place your cabin bag in the sizing cage, and it fails. The cost of checking a bag into the hold at the airport ranges from 25 to 60. Note that Thomson only allows 5kg for hand luggage, which will just about cover your laptop.

Which airlines are best for customer service?

A joint 2012 survey by Budget Airline Watch and WhichBudget suggested that Ryanair is worst for customer service while easyJet is best. Ryanair appeared constantly in the media during 2012 in negative news stories. Flybe and Monarch helpfully run customer service functions on Facebook and Twitter during UK business hours.

before the flight. EasyJet now charges different amounts according to the desirability of the seat. Passengers who havent selected seats are positioned towards the back of the plane. Extra legroom seats can be obtained for 10 to 15 with most carriers. Some may offer better value and comfort than others. For example, issues have been reported with the Thomson bulkhead extra legroom seats being used as an unofficial central aisle so passengers can reach the on-board toilets. In a wide central aisle, beware of being trampled! If online check-in is optional as with Flybe and Monarch but youre required to pay up to 10 to select a seat before you can print your boarding pass, you can skip the process and check-in at the airport instead. While avoiding a sneaky fee, this may result in a longer queuing experience.

easyJet scored top marks in a rece nt poll for customer service.

Seat selection
These days, almost all budget airlines allow you to pre-select your seats online. Previously favouring the free-for-all method, easyJet introduced seat selection in November 2012 after trialling it with almost two million passengers. Research suggested that the boarding process could stress out some passengers. A significant 71 per cent who had travelled on an allocated-seating flight considered their experience to be better. This is borne out by a 2012 survey by Budget Airline Watch and WhichBudget, which found that 54 per cent of respondents prefer to select a seat

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H A ow to bag a lowt
J
dalbera at flickr.com CC-BY -SA

At the airport
While, in the past, catching a flight was a reasonably genteel process and your 24kg checked bag would not draw undue attention, today you are seen as a means of boosting ancillary revenues, especially through baggage charges. In this industry, the customer is not king. Increasingly, airline employees wield power over unsuspecting passengers. Some airlines such as Ryanair and Jet2 are more finicky than others about the rules. Excess baggage charges may be arbitrarily applied, depending on the airline, departure airport and mood of the check-in assistant at the time. While some will turn a blind eye to the odd excess kilo, the real jobsworths will obsess over the weight of personal items (down to passports and purses) and treat 250g extra as chargeable excess. Buy some luggage scales: these cost just 1 in Poundland and Poundstretcher but beware that they may not be 100 per cent accurate. Do not over-stuff cabin bags. If they bulge at the sides, they may not fit into the sizing cage, resulting in a fine.

Barajas Airport, Madrid.

Wear your luggage

In an attempt to avoid checked baggage charges, passengers are increasingly stashing all manner of personal items in their hand luggage. This results in the overhead lockers of aeroplane cabins being crammed to capacity and passengers seeking their own sneaky tricks to bring more weight into the cabin. During the last two years, passengers have started wearing their luggage to outwit checkin staff. In a bizarre loophole, items that are worn rather than being carried in a bag are exempt from the weighing process. This has led to the rise of wearable luggage products including the Rufus Roo big pocket travel jacket (www.rufusroo.com), the Jak Togo (www. jaktogo.com) smuggling coat and the Stuffa gilet (www.stuffa.co.uk). Andrew Gaule, founder of Rufus Roo, says, Up to now, airlines have been remarkably quiet about passengers who wear their luggage and no rules exist to restrict clothing. Unless they are prepared to take a hugely

The Jak Togo can be worn as a bag or a coat.

unpopular move of weighing passengers, we dont believe they will find a way around this. Steve MacNamara, media spokesperson for Ryanair, said of the Rufus Roo during 2012, We dont think its going to cause us any particular problems. The Roo has appeared in the Ryanair in-flight magazine, which is practically an endorsement.

Saving money in-flight

Once youve made it through the challenge of check-in and boarded the plane, you may want to buy something in-flight. However, beware of sterling to euro currency conversion rip-offs. Its often, but not always, preferable to pay in sterling, rather than using your euros to cover food, drinks and duty-free goods. Jet2 charges 1 or 1 for its scratch cards; meanwhile, easyJet charges 4 and 5 for a snack pack.
A hot meal in-flight.
Kai Hendry at flickr.com CC-BY-SA

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Clearly, this doesnt reflect the prevailing exchange rate. When paying for goods in euros on a UK debit or credit card, avoid the rip-off known as dynamic currency conversion (DCC). If youre offered a fixed rate of sterling for the currency exchange, reject this in favour of pay in Sterling and let your own bank set the exchange rate. The latter is generally more favourable. DCC is another form of ancillary revenue. If youre buying in-flight food, on airlines that offer a pre-booked hot meal such as Monarch, Jet2 and Thomson this is the best-value option. As well as providing a tray containing a two-course meal, a refillable coffee or tea is commonly included. In general, plane food can be high on cost and calories. Consider taking a home-made sandwich or snack. If youre flying with kids, you can save no small sum of money by creating your own snack packs beforehand. In-flight, a snack pack costs 4 to 5 per child. Imagine how many snack items could be bought in the supermarket for 10! constant bad press. It seems that the travelling public will accept nothing short of rudeness in order to reach their destination cheaply. With budget flights, always know the rules and dont give airline staff an excuse to charge you extra. If you want to carry excess weight, invest in a wearable luggage product. And never be rude to check-in staff: they may find an arbitrary fine especially for you!

BARGAINS FLIGHTS

Ergonomic luggage products

Best for kids
With the Trunki and Trunki BoostaPak, your little ones will be entertained in the airport, pulling their wheely friend along and looking after it, instead of running away from Mummy! This ride-on luggage product is now said to be owned by 20 per cent of kids aged three to six. The convertible BoostaPak is perfect if you need a lightweight rucksack in-flight and a child car seat at destination.

Happy flying! Baggage and packing tips

Make sure you are using the full
weight allowance in your bags. pack these heavy items.

Wear your coats and boots dont Dont pack shampoo and
conditioner. Buy those at destination.

Best cabin bags

The Antler Revelation Nexus two-wheel (Ryanairsized) and fourwheel (easyJet, Jet2 and Monarch-sized) roller suitcases proved a success with our testers. They are robust, easy to pull and the stowaway handles work smoothly. Available from www.antler.co.uk.

Flying high
Although so-called cheap flights often come with questionable levels of customer service and passengers are treated like naughty children where baggage is concerned, one things for sure: the budget carriers are here to stay. EasyJet carried 58.4 million passengers in the year ending September 2012. Meanwhile, Ryanair carried 79 million, with passenger numbers on the rise despite the airlines

Leggings and stretch-jersey skirts

are light to pack and can form many outfits. Jeans are relatively heavy.

Never pack electronic gadgets in

your checked bag in case they break.

Always retain your luggage receipts:

these are required for tracking purposes if the bag is lost in transit.

Best wearable luggage product

Although we found the Stuffa jacket (www.stuffa.co.uk) the most stylish wearable luggage product, the Rufus Roo is the most practical and capacious. Now in an improved design, the Roo can contain up to 10kg of excess luggage without it being weighed at check-in.

Jo Chipchase has set up a website called www.Budgetairlinewatch.com which offers consumer information about baggage allowances and rules imposed by the UKs low-cost airlines.

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