There is a lot of confusion about the fees/what is included on the
different airlines and especially the ultra-discount airlines. There are
ways to save money and also there are possible ways a discount carrier
could actually cost you more. I will try to make some sense out of it
all.
Cheap Flights from Shanghai to Urumqi
There
are two basic types of airlines, with a few variations. There are the
major carriers: American, United, Delta, Alaska, Hawaiian, Jetblue,
Southwest and then Ultra Discount carriers: Allegiant, Spirit, Frontier
and many new international airlines. The thing you must always do with
any airline is read the fine print, they have to state what they charge
additional fees for, although sometimes the fees can be hard to find.
None of the airlines include free meals except for certain international
flights with the Majors and some flights to Hawaii. All airlines have
non-refundable tickets and all except Southwest charge to make changes.
The change fee varies but can be $200 or more domestic and even more for
international flights. On top of the fee, you also need to pay the
difference in airfare from what you originally booked and the new
flights which could be a lot higher priced. Make sure of your
dates/times before you buy your ticket.
The Majors allow you
to reserve your seat, bring carry-on bags, soft drinks/water onboard,
maybe peanuts/pretzels. Most have meals or snacks for purchase onboard
but make sure, especially if it is a long flight. All except for
Southwest charge for luggage, however sometimes Southwest is higher
priced than the others.
The Ultra Discount Carriers: Allegiant,
Spirit and Frontier charge for just about everything. They start with an
attractive airfare and then add on fees. You will pay extra for regular
sized carry-on bags, checked luggage, using a credit card to pay,
printing boarding passes for you, water/pop/peanuts onboard, seat
assignments; checked bags can only weigh 40 pounds, huge fees for
changes and a few other fees. With their checked bag fees they will
charge you one level if you pay for your bag at the time you book, a
little higher fee before your flight and the highest fee at the airport.
Watch out for the carry-on fees! They allow a tiny bag for free but a
regular size carry-on requires a fee and if you show up at the gate with
a carry-on that is larger than their allowance they charge up to $100
for that bag. Again, read the fine print!!! Some discount flights only
operate 2 or 3 days a week so if there is a flight problem it may take a
few days to get another flight or they will just give your money back
and you have to go buy a last minute flight at a much higher price.
The Wall