Which?: Budget airline flight prices can quadruple once cabin bag and seat selection added

Cabin bag and seat selection fees can quadruple the cost of flights, research has revealed.

A study by UK consumer researchers Which? found that added fees make it hard for passengers to compare the true cost of flying with different airlines.

Which? is calling for the UK government to ensure that airline fees are included in laws cracking down on ‘drip pricing’ – charges that are added or ‘dripped’ onto the advertised price.

The Digital Markets, Competing and Consumers Act 2024 is due to come into effect in April 2025, which should end the drip pricing tactics. However, Which? says it is unclear whether add-on charges beyond unavoidable booking or transaction fees will be included.

The researchers found that selecting add-ons with Wizz Air on some routes can increase the initial advertised charge by over four times, while prices on other routes with Ryanair and easyJet can more than double the advertised rate.

Which? carried out a snapshot analysis of 15 “ultra-low-cost” flights with budget carriers such as easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air, and found that Wizz Air charged the most for extras on average.

They discovered that when booking a return flight from London Luton to Lyon in France, Wizz Air advertised the flight for just £29 per person, yet when choosing the airline’s ‘Wizz Smart’ fare, which includes a 10kg bag, a standard seat and priority boarding, the price rocketed to £124 per person.

By adding on these extras, the price quadrupled, with 77 per cent of the final price being made up by additional fees.

When analysing Ryanair flights, Which? found that around half of the final fare was, on average, made up of additional fees. A journey from London Stanstead to Nantes was listed at £33, but when selecting a ‘Regular’ fare, which adds seat selection, a cabin bag and priority boarding, the price more than doubled to £84.

EasyJet was also found to have done similar. A flight from Luton to Malaga was shown as costing only £41, but when adding on seat selection, a cabin bag and priority boarding, the cost soared to £111, with 63 per cent of the final fare being ‘dripped’ fees.

The consumer champion has said that tactics like these can increase a family holiday by hundreds of pounds. They are also calling for a ban on charging parents to sit next to their children on…