Money and insurance
Flight taxes and surcharges: why the final price isn't the advertised one
There are several layers between the advertised price and the one you pay. Which are compulsory, which can be avoided and which are paid at the destination itself.
Nerea Aguilar 5 min Photo by Alexes Gerard on Unsplash The advertised price and the one you pay rarely match, and not everything added along the way is the same kind of thing: some are public charges the airline doesn't control, and some are commercial surcharges it does.
What each one is
| Item | Who charges it | Can it be avoided? |
|---|---|---|
| Airport charges | The airport | No |
| Aviation taxes | The government | No |
| Baggage surcharge | The airline | Yes, by travelling with less |
| Seat selection | The airline | Almost always yes |
| Surcharge for paying by certain cards | The airline | By changing payment method |
| Check-in at the desk | The airline | Yes, by doing it online |
The last row is the one most often paid through carelessness: some airlines charge to print your boarding pass at the airport, and there a phone with battery is literally worth money.
The charges you pay at the destination
Some countries charge a departure tax that isn't in the ticket and is paid at the airport, sometimes only in cash and in local currency. It isn't common, and when it applies and you didn't know, it is a serious problem an hour before the flight.
Check beforehand in the travel advice for your destination.
What is worth looking at when comparing
- The price with the luggage you are actually going to take.
- Whether the cheap flight leaves from another airport and what it costs to get there.
- The timing: a flight landing in the small hours adds a hotel night or an expensive taxi.
- And the change policy, which is what you really pay for when something goes wrong.
How to fit all of this into the budget is in how to work out a trip budget.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the flight price go up so much at payment?
Because compulsory public charges and the airline's commercial surcharges — baggage, seat, payment method — are added to the base price.
Can the taxes be avoided?
Airport charges and taxes, no. Commercial surcharges, yes: travel with less luggage, check in online and pick your payment method carefully.
What is a departure tax?
A charge some countries apply on leaving that isn't in the ticket. Sometimes only cash in local currency is accepted.
What should I look at when comparing flights?
The price with your real luggage, the departure airport and what it costs to reach, the arrival time and the change policy.
