January 7, 2024February 21, 2024 A breakdown of extra airline charges… Booking a holiday is expensive enough without all of the secret charges that can be thrown on you unexpectantly, so I’ve done a bit of research on any extra charges you may find with some of the most popular European airlines. I’ll be focusing on extra costs for different size suitcases (in the cabin and the hold) as well as seat choice costs and over weight luggage charges. Starting off with one of the most popular short haul airlines, EasyJet whose costs can massively vary throughout the year depending on demand, length of flight and time of year. Below are the suitcase sizes, costs and possible extra charges… Included in your standard fee you are permitted to take a Personal item on board that must fit under the seat in front of you. If you’d like an additional large cabin bag that goes in the overhead lockers it will cost between £5.99 and £30.99. This case/bag can weigh a maximum of 15kg and if it does not meet the size requirements it will be placed in the hold and you will be charged so ensure you check the size of your case before hand! Along with paying for your Large cabin bag, you will get speedy boarding, allowing you to skip through the queues at your gate. For a 23kg (In the hold) suitcase, it can cost between £10-£48 each way depending on the length of your flight and your destination. If you decide to put your luggage in the hold when you get to the airport, it will cost £48, and if your luggage is overweight there is a £12 per kilo charge. If you’d like to choose your seat in advance, it can be done whilst you’re checking in online and it will cost an average of £9.99 (Window/eisle seat costs can vary). For extra legroom it’s an additional £12.99 which in comparison to some airlines, is a bargain! Next up is Ryanair: classed as the largest low-cost airline in Europe and the second largest airline worldwide, they have one way flights costing an average of just £45! They offer a massive range of flights for affordable prices, as well as having low cost charges for added extras. Ryanair do however require slightly smaller and lighter luggage which for a short getaway can either be a big deal or a minor inconvenience, it’s all down to personal preference really. For a standard under the seat bag there is no extra cost, but if you’d like an additional cabin bag for in the overhead locker there is a charge of between £6-£30. The dimensions of the large cabin bag RyanAir allow are slightly lower than other airlines so check the size of your case before getting to the airport to avoid even more extra charges. To check in a 20kg case, it costs an extra £17.99 – £50 if you add it to your booking before hand. If you check in luggage at the airport it’s an extra cost of £59, this is the same if you have to check in your large cabin bag for being too big. For every kg that your checked in luggage is over, it’s £11 per Kilo. If you plan to pre book your seats online when checking in, there are various options for various prices. For extra legroom it costs between £13 and £30, but for a standard seat it will cost between £2-£15 depending on if you want a window, aisle or middle seat. Overall, RyanAir hasn’t got the highest charges but it also doesn’t have the lowest, however due to their great deals for the flights themselves they’ll most likely still be one of the lowest cost airlines for your next European holiday. Next is Tui, probably one of the easiest airlines to book with since it’s pretty much all done for you while booking your holiday but what are they charging you? To be honest, Tui are pretty affordable for flights from my experience but all flights vary since they fly all over Europe and internationally. As far as extra charges go, they don’t charge anything for both an under the seat hand luggage AND a 10kg over head compartment hand luggage! This makes Tui a real top contender for weekend break trips that don’t require more than a 10kg suitcase as you basically only pay one fee for your flight. If you’re going on a longer holiday or just need that extra bid of baggage, to add on a 20kg standard case for under the hold is approximately £30, this varies slightly for the longer flights. However as an average that isn’t a bad price, you’re really getting a 20kg and a 10kg for the price of just one. Imagine everything you could pack! Tui do also have extra charges for seat selection, these are not available online unless you have booked a flight so I can’t give you an amount for certain but it’s an extra charge to look out for. Wizz Air is a newer airline that flies within Europe and promises the cheapest flights. Although the flights themselves may be very cheap they are known for very expensive extra charges. As with most, your personal item is free but to add on a 10kg carry on suitcase it costs around £45 for most flights with the shorter flights costing, on average, £15. However, to add checked in luggage the cost increases dramatically. There are two weight options, a 20kg case will cost you up to £95 each way, where as a 32kg case will cost between £30-120 each way. This cost will vary depending on the demand, time of year and length of flight but I think that £120 each way is very overpriced and definitely something to be aware of before booking with WizzAir. Finally, as far as I could find you can’t prebook specific seats on flights with Wizz Air, although you can book to guarantee that you and your partner/travel buddy will be sat together. Online it states that to guarantee seats together it is approximately £20 per leg for a couple which would mean that it would be around £40 each to guarantee seats next to who you’re travelling with. Compared to EasyJet’s £7.99 for seat choice, this again seems very overpriced and a possible reason to look elsewhere if you’re aiming for a more budgeted flight. Now moving onto a large international airline, British Airways. British Airways is more commonly used for long haul flights which of course results in higher costs, as well as also offering Premium, First and Business Class seats to increase costs further. As far as luggage costs go, you are allowed a Personal Item and a large cabin bag as part of your ticket cost. To add a 23kg case (Economy class) or a 32kg case (First/Business Class) it is on average between £20-£65, which for a long haul flight, in comparison to some of the European airlines, is pretty fairly priced. British Airways offer seat selection for all classes and the cost again depends on whether it’s economy, first or business class. This can range from between £30-£120 which in my opinion is very pricey after already spending a large amount on tickets and cases. This is obviously an optional cost so can be easily avoided if you’re happy to be seated anywhere on the aircraft. Overall, British Airways offer well priced flights with only the odd, unexpected charge. Virgin Airlines is another international airline which in my opinion has great prices and so many fantastic destinations all year round. As far as further prices, they are far less than I expected for such a large company. The personal item AND large cabin bag are both included in the ticket cost. But not only that, each ticket also includes a 23kg checked in suitcase! This reduces the overall cost massively and means that you can pretty much just pay one overall price (which will vary on the destination and length of flight). However if you’d like to pre-select seats there is an extra cost, it’s approximately £30 for economy seats and £55 for Premium, which again is very reasonable. I hope this post has given you an insight into the extra charges you may face when booking your next flight and can help you choose an airline that best suits your budget. Happy flying! All Posts Travel Tips