Last Friday I arrived home from New York City after a week of Broadway, museums, twinkling holiday lights, and more cannoli than any one person should consume. (Thankfully, I spent plenty of time walking them off!) Visiting the city in December was on my life list of things I wanted to do, and it didn’t disappoint.<\/p>\n
Of course, New York City isn’t inexpensive. But my husband and I stayed with a friend, which meant we didn’t have to pay for a hotel room, and we lucked into a few deals. For example, our friend used his corporate discount to get reduced-price tickets<\/a> to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and we scored $25 tickets for front-row seats to Wicked<\/i> through a lottery drawing held two hours before the show. I’d also prepared myself to expect higher prices so that I could relax a little and enjoy the first big vacation we’ve taken in almost three years. I can say in all honesty that every expense was worth it \u2014 especially<\/em> the cannoli.<\/p>\n But want to know what travel expenses are not<\/em> worth it? The new fees airlines charge for everything imaginable! Need to check two bags? That’ll be $60. Want a pillow? That’s $7, and we only take credit cards.<\/em><\/p>\n Luckily, we avoided paying these fees because we have the incredible willpower it takes to pass on airplane food \u2014 delicious as it is \u2014 and we only packed one carry-on each. But while writing this article, I learned that if we had been on Spirit Airlines, we would have paid $60 extra for two carry-on bags<\/a>. And I learned that not all of these new fees are disclosed upfront.<\/p>\n Sneaky fees or a buffet of services?<\/strong><\/em>
\nAirlines say the extra fees keep overall ticket prices low, allowing passengers to only pay for the services they want. But some of these fees pop up at the end of a transaction or while a passenger is checking in luggage, making it feel less like a “menu of services” and more like a mob-style shakedown \u2014 an offer you can’t refuse. If<\/em> you want to catch your flight, that is.<\/p>\n