Money-saving guru Clark Howard is here, sharing his top-secret strategies to land the cheapest flights imaginable — and trust me, the airlines do not want you knowing these tricks. We talk about clever booking hacks, algorithms, hidden deals, and the perfect time to strike.
How to find and stop hidden fees
When I’m booking air travel, it seems like the price goes up with every click. By the time I pay to check a bag or two, that “great deal” isn’t looking so, well, great.
So of course airlines are fighting the Biden administration’s “junk fees’” rule, which would make them show their fees upfront for checking bags, carrying on a bag, and changing or canceling a reservation.
Virtually every major airline (American, Delta, United, JetBlue, Alaska and Hawaiian) is suing to stop this rule. Yeah, and they probably don’t want you to know their checked-baggage fees are going up again (at least, for American).
Airlines aren’t the only ones
It’s called price obfuscation, and I bet it’s happening in your online shopping carts all the time. You see one price when you hit “buy,” and as they tack on more fees, you’re less likely to notice them.
Concert tickets are some of the worst offenders, with service fees, order processing fees, delivery fees and facility charges.
The price obfuscation for concert tickets got so out of control, some states finally made Ticketmaster show “all-in pricing” — your actual ticket cost — instead of the ticket price you think you’re paying.
- 🎶 How to avoid it: When you can, buy tickets at a physical box office to avoid some of the fees.
Hotels stays: Many hotels tack on a “resort fee” they claim is for amenities. Some local governments charge a tourism tax, too. It can add up!
- 🧳 Ask about the charges: If your hotel’s “resort fee” is for a closed pool or a gym you’re not using, politely ask if it can be removed from your bill.
Online shopping: That outfit was a good deal … until you saw the shipping and handling fees.
- 🛍️ Do your own legwork: Literally. If you’re purchasing online for a store with a brick-and-mortar shop in your town, get it shipped there for free and pick it up.
2 hours
Into an Air France flight, the plane made a U-turn back to Paris. A passenger boarded the plane with his phone but somehow couldn’t find it anywhere during the flight. Phone batteries can start a fire, so airlines don’t take chances. My guess: He flushed it. That’s something we never said in the ’80s … “I lost my phone.”
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