How online travel agents hike up prices for holiday hungry Brits
BRITISH tourists dashing abroad for summer hols are being ripped off by travel agents’ tricks.
They are adding on their own fees for flight bookings, luggage and seats.
A Sun Money investigation found seven major booking websites charge more than if customers paid the airline directly.
It means a family of four would face up to £127 in additional agent fees for flights from London Southend Airport to Majorca for a week from August 28 to September 4.
Travel firms try to sell flight customers up to eight add-on services, including booking details by pricey text message and access to a phone support line.
All seven flight agents we probed added their own fees on top of some airline charges.
The seven are lastminute.com, mytrip.com, gotogate.co.uk, opodo.co.uk, travelup.com, kiwi.com and edreams.co.uk.
Sunseekers face being stung as they book trips over the August 30 bank holiday weekend.
Traveller numbers are set be boosted by the August 26 green list announcement, with more countries likely to be added.
Fees
Adult return flights for a week in Majorca with Ryanair cost £58 when leaving from London Southend Airport on August 28 at 6.35am, and coming back on September 4 at 10.25am.
But lastminute.com is charging £91 for the same flights. The price includes a £31 “agency fee” — hidden unless a customer clicks to reveal the total price breakdown.
Travelup.com, which promises “great value deals”, charges £66, £8 more than booking direct with Ryanair.
Lose: £33 per return flight.
Bags
Ryanair only allows one smaller-than-average cabin bag for free.
It charges £24 one-way for a standard-sized 10kg cabin bag to Majorca, but lastminute.com charges £34 to £38.
It means a family of four booking with lastminute.com would pay £96 extra to take one 10kg bag each on the return flights — plus the flights’ £31 booking fee above, totalling £127.
Mytrip.com adds a £30 booking fee — hidden unless a drop-down arrow is clicked — to the price of a checked bag.
Gotogate.co.uk charges £60 for a 20kg checked bag, £20 more than Ryanair.
Lose: £30 per booking with bag.
Seats
Big agents slap on £10 extra for choosing a seat on the plane — on top of airline charges.
The cheapest seats on Ryanair’s flight to Majorca cost £7 but opodo. co.uk, kiwi.com and edreams.co.uk all charge £17 for the same seat.
Lose: £10 per seat per flight.
More add-ons
Crafty agents try to get travellers to sign up to more flight add-on services, all of which they could manage without.
Buying the separate add-ons — not including bags or seats — could double the price of the Majorca flights.
Mytrip.com will not let customers check out without clicking Yes or No to eight flight extras, including an £18 support service with a phone line, £3 to be sent a text message with the flight booking number, £8 for help to claim for a delayed flight and £6 for lost bag compensation.
But travellers would expect no charge to have a customer service number to call, and flight booking numbers are sent on email.
Claiming for delays is free, while airlines pay compensation for lost or delayed bags.
Gotogate.co.uk has a similar mass of add-on fees to mytrip.com.
The firms have the same parent company, one of the biggest online flight travel agents in Europe.
Lose: £35+ per booking.
Pressure selling
Opodo and edreams pressurise customers by warning them they will lose their price unless they input their details quickly.
Opodo’s pop-up reads: “10 minutes remaining. Remember, we can only hold fares for a limited time. Book now before it’s too late.” Edreams uses a similar message.
Sun Money asked all the agents to comment.
A spokesperson for Opodo and eDreams, which has the same parent company, said: “Our technology enables customers to access the travel market in a one-stop shop.
“Customers achieve greater value by creating a package that cannot be provided by an airline alone.”
Top tips
- COMPARE travel agents’ flight prices using sites such as Skyscanner and Kayak as well as the airline’s own website.
- Pay for bags and seats directly using the airline’s website. Cheaper still, bring hand luggage only and snag free seats together by checking in online as soon as it opens.
- Click to view booking sites’ pricing breakdown, making sure you have not added unwanted extras.
- Ignore pop-ups when online. If you are timed out, compare prices again.
Take time and check prices
TRAVEL addicts Jorge and Elizabeth Gomez steer clear of flight agents’ extra fees by comparing prices using three websites before booking.
The couple, pictured, who have travelled across Europe and visited the Caribbean and Asia, say booking sites trick customers by charging more for add-ons than if they paid the airline direct.
Jorge, 53, an education administrator from South West London, says: “It’s unfair. Prices vary and small increases all add up. People should look at flight prices on different sites.”
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Elizabeth, 47, an energy logistics officer, adds: “Although they provide a service, some booking firms take advantage of customers who may not be savvy travellers and think prices are the same as with the airline.
“If you don’t compare prices, you end up paying more. We look at prices on Skyscanner, another site and also the airline, then choose.
“Pop-ups saying you are running out of time are annoying but it’s important not to accidentally pay for a service you don’t want, so take your time and check the overall price.”