Air Travel Gets Worse: Are We on the Verge of a Baby Fee?

  • Share
  • Read Later
Getty Images

Looks like someone's flying off to Norway.

Airlines have made more than $6 billion by charging various fees, including fees to check a suitcase. And they probably won’t stop there.

Airfare Watchdog founder George Hobica predicts a rash of future charges as airlines try to cash in. Among his predictions include fees for holding an infant on your lap, buying tickets with a credit card or checking in at the airport. Spirit Airlines already charges $45 for bringing aboard a carry-on bag that doesn’t fit under your seat, and other airlines could follow suit.

(More on TIME.com: See the top 10 travel moments of 2010.)

European airlines have taken the lead in the ridiculous fee department. Check out the fee list for Irish airline Ryanair to feel a bit better – if you need to reprint your boarding pass, it’ll set you back £40 ($63). That’s on top of an infant fee, and a fee for said infant’s car seat or stroller. Ryanair even claimed to plan a charge to use the plane’s bathrooms.

NewsFeed is certainly irked by the high fees, but we could see the benefits of an infant fee. Maybe parents will take their screaming children on road trips instead, sparing the ears of their fellow plane passengers. (via KABC)

(More on TIME.com: See 20 reasons to hate the airlines.)