Spirit and Frontier just scrapped some fees, but brace for extra charges on these 10 U.S. airlines

By Venessa Wong and Hannah Erin Lang

$15 to pick your seat, $75 for a carry-on bag. Airline fees are still rampant, despite Biden crackdown on 'junk fees.'

Airlines have made a billion-dollar business charging fees for seat selection, checked bags and other tiny conveniences - but some carriers are starting to overhaul these policies as the Biden administration cracks down on fees that it calls hidden and unnecessary.

Budget carrier Spirit Airlines (SAVE) announced earlier this week that it would scrap change and cancellation fees, following a similar move by Frontier Airlines (ULCC). The airlines announced these changes amid increased regulatory scrutiny of the industry and its add-on charges.

Frontier's new policy doesn't apply to its lowest-tier "basic" fare.

While major airlines have increasingly done away with change and cancellation fees in recent years, flying still comes with a number of other possible charges - including for redeeming flight miles, bringing a carry-on bag or picking a window seat.

Baggage fees across major U.S. airlines increased from $4.9 billion to $6.8 billion between 2018 and 2022, and seat-selection fees generated an estimated $4.2 billion in 2022, according to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the Connecticut Democrat who chaired a subcommittee investigating these fees.

The Biden administration is working to make what it calls hidden "junk fees" generally more transparent so that consumers know up front how much they will be charged for purchases like flight tickets. Such fees cost consumers extra on everything from concert tickets to rental applications, officials have said, while banking and credit-card fees have also been a target.

This month, President Joe Biden signed into law a bill renewing the Federal Aviation Administration's authority for five years. In addition to investing in air-travel infrastructure and safety improvements, the law prohibits airlines from charging fees for families to sit together, and requires them to offer automatic cash refunds when they cancel or significantly change flights.

In response, airlines are suing the Department of Transportation, claiming it has gone beyond its authority and that information on fees is already accessible.

"Airlines already provide consumers with complete disclosure of all fees associated with air travel before they purchase a ticket," a spokesperson for Airlines for America, an industry trade group involved in the lawsuit, said in a statement. The DOT's new rule will "greatly confuse consumers" with additional information that will complicate their purchase, the statement said.

Read more: Airline passengers are now entitled to automatic cash refunds for canceled flights. Here's how to get yours.

Airlines have been some of the worst offenders when it comes to surprise fees that can unexpectedly hike costs for customers, said Teresa Murray, director of the consumer watchdog office at U.S. PIRG, an advocacy group.

Fees are often applied unevenly across ticketing tiers and policies can vary widely from airline to airline, she said, making it difficult to understand what fees might apply to your purchase.

"A lot of people don't fly that often, so it's an even bigger challenge," Murray said. "It's a spin the wheel, close your eyes and guess how much the ticket is going to be [situation]. It's a surprise."

Even if airlines widely scrap various charges like change, cancellation and seat-selection fees, they might just end up making up the difference by increasing airfare, Murray added. "I would not be surprised if the crackdown on fee disclosure leads to higher ticket prices," she said.

As the summer travel season kicks off, MarketWatch compiled a list of fees charged by the 10 largest U.S. airlines as of mid-May. This list focuses specifically on the lowest-cost tier of tickets, such as American Airlines' (AAL) Basic Economy fare or Alaska Airlines' (ALK) Saver tier.

When MarketWatch reached out to the airlines for comment, spokespeople from several companies responded with links to the fees sections of their websites. Those sometimes involved navigating menus and tables and inputting information about the flight or the size and weight of bags, which travelers may not know until they have packed. The fee structures typically varied depending on the route, as well as the price tier of a ticket - with the least protection for low-cost or economy-class tickets.

For the most up-to-date information, it's a good idea to contact your carrier.

Alaska Airlines

Change fee: Saver fares cannot be changed. Other tickets have no change fee. Cancellation fee: None.Baggage fee: None for carry-on luggage, which includes one personal item and one carry-on bag.Seat-selection fee: Purchasing a Saver fare means you won't be able to pick your seat. Other tickets have no seat-selection fee.Miles-redemption fee: A security charge of about $5.60 on domestic flights, plus an additional $12.50 per person each way if using Alaska award miles to book a flight on a partner airline (American Airlines, British Airways, etc.).

Allegiant Air

Change fee: Up to $75 per person each way for an Allegiant Air (ALGT) flight purchased without Trip Flex, a travel-insurance-like protection that can be purchased for an additional fee when you book the flight. For a non-Trip Flex trip, no changes are allowed within seven days of travel.Cancellation fee: $25 for a booking canceled after 24 hours and purchased without Trip Flex.Baggage fee: A personal item is free, but fees range from $10 to $75 for a carry-on bag. Checking a bag at the airport will cost you $75, though you can save up to half that amount if you pay to check a bag at the time you purchase your ticket, according to the airline's online bag-fee calculator. Seat-selection fee: Ranges from $0 to $80. Miles-redemption fee: None.

American Airlines

Change fee: Basic Economy fares can't be changed. No change fees for other ticket tiers.Cancellation fee: None.Baggage fee: None for carry-on luggage. $40 for your first checked bag on a domestic flight.Seat-selection fee: Ranges from $4 to $280, depending on the seat and flight. For Basic Economy fares, seats will automatically be assigned at check-in for passengers who don't select a seat.Miles-redemption fee: None.

Delta Air Lines

Change fee: Basic Economy tickets are nonchangeable on Delta (DAL) flights. For main-cabin tickets and above, no change fee.Cancellation fee: None for flights originating from the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.Baggage fee: None for carry-on luggage. $35 for your first checked bag on a domestic flight.Seat-selection fee: Averages $15 or more, depending on the flight and seat, according to NerdWallet.Miles-redemption fee: At least $11.20 in U.S. government taxes and fees for domestic itineraries.

Frontier Airlines

Change fee: $49 to $99 for basic fares on Frontier if you change within 60 days of departure.Cancellation fee: $99 for basic fares, or free if you cancel within 24 hours of booking and the trip is at least seven days away.Baggage fee: There are fees for carry-ons and checked bags, and the cost varies by flight.Seat-selection fee: Starts at $11.Miles-redemption fee: Fees range from $15 to $75 if you book within 180 days before departure.

Hawaiian Airlines

Change fee: Main Cabin Basic tickets are nonchangeable on Hawaiian Airlines (HA) flights.Cancellation fee: None if you cancel within 24 hours of booking and the trip is at least seven days away. After that, Main Cabin Basic tickets are nonrefundable.Baggage fee: One carry-on bag is free. First checked bag is $15 to $40. Seat-selection fee: Not available for Main Cabin Basic passengers.Miles-redemption fee: None.

JetBlue Airways

Change fee: For Blue Basic passengers on JetBlue (JBLU) flights, changes (including same-day switches and standby) are not allowed.Cancellation fee: For Blue Basic passengers, $100 (for routes in North America, Central America or the Caribbean) or $200 (for other routes). Baggage fee: For Blue Basic passengers, no carry-ons are allowed. The first checked bag is $35.Seat-selection fee: Starts at $5.Miles-redemption fee: None, but you can't use miles toward Blue Basic fares.

Southwest Airlines

Change fee: None.Cancellation fee: No refunds for Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus passengers on Southwest (LUV) flights. Credit will be issued if you cancel at least 10 minutes before scheduled departure.Baggage fee: No fee for carry-on and first two checked bags up to 50 pounds.Seat-selection fee: No assigned seating.Miles-redemption fee: None.

Spirit Airlines

Change fee: Changes can be made up to an hour before scheduled departure. Fare differences may apply.Cancellation fee: Full refund in the original form of payment if canceled within 24 hours of booking for a flight that is seven or more days away. Those who are not entitled to a refund will get travel credit. Baggage fee: Starts at $39 for carry-ons and $34 for the first checked bag.Seat-selection fee: Starts at $5.Miles-redemption fee: $50 for flights booked within 28 days of departure.

United Airlines

Change fee: Basic Economy passengers on United (UAL) flights cannot make changes. No change fees for Economy, Economy Plus and Premium Plus passengers. Cancellation fee: Basic Economy tickets can be canceled and refunded within 24 hours of booking, as long as it's one week or more before your scheduled departure.Baggage fee: Basic Economy passengers cannot bring a carry-on except for flights to South America, across the Atlantic or across the Pacific. First checked bag is $40, or $35 if you prepay.Seat-selection fee: Starts at $15 per person.Miles-redemption fee: None.

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05-23-24 1104ET

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