Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast
Episode: September 5th - Airlines have been under attack for adding extra charges for baggage and seating. Is this fair?
Description: They say “no” – all the charges are published and highlighted, and these are optional extras. If you’re prepared to travel with just a small bag and don’t mind where you sit on the plane, then the fare you see is the fare you pay.My view: it’s perfectly fair to charge people extra for the extra cost of providing services. In the UK easyJet started that in 1995 when they started charging 50p for a cup of tea. When charges for luggage started in 2006, the cost of checking in a suitcase was just a couple of po...