“Favorite” may not be the first word that comes to mind when travelers consider the growing list of airline ancillary fees, but some add-ons are more acceptable than others.
A study by Switchfly, a SaaS platform for travel commerce and loyalty programs, found that most consumers (69 percent) regularly pay extra fees when flying. The most common charges are checked baggage (28 percent), preferred seating (22 percent) and in-flight meals (22 percent).
Notably, almost half of those surveyed (49 percent) prefer a low base fare with à la carte ancillary options over a higher-priced bundled fare that automatically includes checked baggage, meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment. When presented with three choices—a no-frills base fare, a mid-tier fare with selected ancillaries, or a higher-priced bundled fare containing more services—most travelers opted for the mid-tier option that balances price and included amenities.
These findings suggest that many travelers value pricing flexibility and the ability to pay only for the services they use, rather than being charged up front for a package that may include items they don’t need.