For instance, the article says that ‘retailers must display total prices clearly and accurately. The package holiday was once the ideal holiday option as it included absolutely everything – the Co Op Travel and Teletext Holidays blog says that ‘package holidays in my day were a flight, a coach transfer to my accommodation, my hotel or apartment accommodation and a smiley rep to help me when needed’.Ĭonsumers do have rights where hidden costs are concerned though, as detailed in an article from the consumer website Which? It explains how those that have been hit by hidden extras can get their money back in certain circumstances. The real issue with these added extras is that, once upon a time, they were included within the cost of a holiday. This is due to the extortionate costs of taxes and fees, mandatory online check-in, the airline’s EU261 Compensation Levy, fees for 20kg baggage allowance for two people during peak holiday season and a debit card fee. In this article it explains that, although a holidaymaker might expect to only pay €80 for their flight, they end up with a €759.76 bill. The website has an excellent example of this in its article ‘ How much could you pay with Ryanair?’. One of the worst airlines for hidden extras is Ryanair, which has been in the newspaper a lot lately due to its extortionate fees upon confirming a holiday with them. The hidden extras of holidays are most often insurance, booking fees and baggage allowances, although there can also be many more. Unfortunately, these hidden extras are often only made apparent at the last stage of booking a break, making a lot of people simply confirm their break rather than go through the rigmarole of finding and booking a different one. The study included almost 2,500 people, making the results even more astounding, as almost half of those that took part were hit with expensive hidden extras that pushed the price of their break up. As a news report on comparison website states, a recent study found that ’38 per cent of internet bookers found that when they tried to confirm their package, there were a number of hidden extras on top of the holiday price that was quoted’. However, there have been a lot of reports in the news recently about the ‘hidden extras’ involved in booking breaks. There is no getting around the fact that in order to enjoy a holiday you have to spend money, but there are many ways that you can cut the cost of your break by going for cheaper alternatives. Going on holiday can be incredibly exciting and a great way to spend time with your loved ones in an interesting location, but it can also be expensive. Image from Flickr Creative commons via Images of Money

Teletext holidays hidden costs