Save Money on Flight and Hotel Vacations: Avoid Unnecessary Fines and Fees

With the new and tighter airline restrictions in effect on many airlines, flying can quickly become a hassle. It is even more frustrating when one is traveling with a family or when flying with small children. Nothing ruins a vacation before it begins than the discovery of hidden fees both at the airport and at the hotel. Saving money with these trips is easy, however, if one learns where typical fees are imposed and how to avoid incurring them. Become familiar with the types of fees that a particular hotel or airline charges, and take steps to avoid incurring surprise fines that could damper a vacation.

Baggage Fees

The dreaded baggage fee is one that everyone wishes they could avoid. Unfortunately, for some people, it is unavoidable and one must check baggage. If this is the case, shop around for airlines that either lift baggage fees for the first checked bag or ones that offer a lower fee. For example, Southwest airlines does not charge a baggage fee, and one can check two bags free of charge. However, most other airlines will charge a fee of fifteen to twenty-five dollars per checked bag each way.

Try to limit the amount of bags being checked if a fee is in effect. But remember to always weigh the bag at home beforehand, since an overweight bag can be charged hefty fine of anywhere from fifty to one hundred and fifty dollars. Also, remember that the airlines charge bags for each way of the trip. So, if it's a round trip, the bags will be charged twice. If booking online through the airline website, one can often pay for their bags in advance at a lower rate than at the airport. The savings are normally around five to ten dollars for each bag. Always read the fine print about baggage on the airline website to ensure bags meet standards and will not incur additional fees.

Hotel Fees

These can be very confusing for many travelers and for good reason. Hotels are often quite vague about the types of fees they charge, and the information is often only found in the fine print before booking a stay. Resort fees can be charged per day, and they are not included in the room base price. If booking on an online booking site such as Expedia or Orbitz, the hotel resort fees are not calculated in the total. This can make a significant impact on how much money is spent for the trip, since resort fees can range anywhere from five dollars a day to thirty bucks a day.

Cleaning fees are often imposed on many hotel guests these days as well, and they are either charged daily or once per stay. Check the fine print on the hotel to see if everyday housekeeping is provided for free or if there is a fee for the service. To save money, avoid hotels that charge a cleaning or expensive resort fee and calculate it into the total cost of the trip.

Other fees that a traveler may face while staying at a hotel include parking fees. Yes, some hotels will not let their guests park for free. These are charged daily, and the rate can be anyway from a few dollars to up to ten dollars a day.