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Airline fees at a glance

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It feels as though the airlines are adding extra fees every week. On one trip you have to pay for a blanket, and on the next you’re tagged for a second bag. If you shop for your plane ticket based on the lowest fare and not who’s flying you, uncovering the potential fees may take longer than planning your trip. Now Smarter Travel, Airfare Watchdog and Seat Guru have compiled an indispensable resource on one page: the Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees at wiki.smartertravel.com/index.php/airline_fees.

What’s hot: The chart organizes 15 categories of fees across 16 popular airlines. Find out whether in-flight food will cost you (up to $10 on Delta) or whether you’ll be charged extra for booking your flight on the phone or in person ($30 on American, Northwest and United). The editors update the chart and tell you upfront when the last change was made.

What’s not: Unless you’re expressly looking for it, the info is not easy to find. I go to SmarterTravel.com, scroll down to the “Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees” section and download the guide as a PDF, which I like for its simplicity. If it were really as ultimate as its name suggests, it would take my e-mail address and send me a note when a new fee is added or changed. But I’m thankful to have the chart as it is.

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-- Jen Leo

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