For those of you who are thinking of using EasyJet or Ryanair for a cheap getaway, Money Saving Expert has a timely update on the games these two airlines are up to.
For EasyJet
- Fees to pay by debit card are up from £5.50 per booking to £8.
- Credit card fees are up per booking from £5.50 + £4.95 or 2.5% of transaction value (whichever is higher) to £8 + £4.95 or 2.5% (whichever is higher).
- No fees on a Visa Electron card – if you can find one.
- Baggage charges for items weighing up to 20kg are up from £9 to £12.50 to £9 to £14 per segment, dependant on segment length travelled.
For Ryanair
- The mandatory £2/€2 fee for EC261/2004 or “We can’t afford to compensate people so we’re penalising everyone else fee”
- Card costs go up from £5 to £6 a segment (MasterCard Prepaid debit card is free)
- Peak travel has been redefined, leading to a higher baggage fee of £20 per segment up from £15. For those mad enough, these are 1 June to 21 September and 21 December to 4 January.
Whilst Low Cost Carriers like these two can represent good value if you plan correctly, and follow the rules, do me a favour – and check the traditional carriers. By the time you add in all the extras, you might find that going by a traditional carrier may be better for your wallet….
