The true cost of flying
Updated on 08 April 2009
Luton Airport will soon be charging £1 for drop-offs and pick-ups, just another charge for the frequent flyer to bear. Channel 4 News calculates the costs.
Getting to/from Luton Airport
From St Pancras it will cost me approximately £23 for a return ticket and once I arrive in Luton, I will have to take a shuttle bus to the airport.
As for the bus, if I book online it is between £14 and £15 for both Green Line and easyBus from central London. National Express costs £18 return.
What about a taxi? That is at least £85 return. And do not forget to add the new £1 passenger drop-off fee.
I could drive but parking at Luton costs between £3.63 and £13.13 per day. And now that I think about it, I do not have a car.
At Luton Airport
If I am hurried, feeling aggressive or suffering a superiority complex that day, I will willingly pay the £3 to barge the security queue.
I will be forced to pay £1 for the clear plastic bags required to carry liquids on board or endure dry, cracked lips and bleak pulling prospects in Spain.
I could book at the Aviance Lounge to "save on all the unnecessary expense of buying refreshment in the airport while waiting for my flight," as recommended by flightline.co.uk. They offer me a spot for £17.45.
I have been fighting a rogue wheel on my suitcase that has been trying to lead my luggage astray (and drag me with it) all morning. I am clearly losing the battle so I will begrudgingly pay £1 for a trolley.
Flights
Ryanair (to Barcelona)
Well, the return fare for a quick trip to Barcelona next weekend is under £55. But when I add taxes and fees, the price rises above £90.
One bag of 15 kg or less and online check-in costs £30. If I want the luxury of checking-in at the airport, make it £40.
If I were to carry an infant on my lap, I would get whacked with another £40 plus another £20 for each car or booster seat and travel cot.
Got sports equipment or a musical instrument? That is another £60, thank you very much.
I can tack-on another £6 to be "one of the first passengers to board the aircraft" and bump the others back with a sinister giggle.
Travel insurance covering lost baggage, medical expenses, or flight delay is just under £10.
To pay with a credit or debit card, there is another £10 fee. Even paying with a Ryanair MasterCard or Visa will cost a 10'er.
Feeling peckish on the plane? A sandwich and a bottle of water will run to £7.
While my deepest desire might be to call all my mates and make them jealous about my imminent holiday, I will sit on my hands and suppress any temptation to use the in-flight £3 per minute mobile phone service.
SkyEurope (to Prague)
The lowest return fare to Prague next week is about £125. About one-third of that is in fees and taxes.
It is £8.50 to "get access to the exclusive priority check-in desk," which promises to be both "exclusive" and "priority".
The seat costs extra: those in the first and last rows are £10. Otherwise, it is £7 for a window seat or £5 for a "regular" seat.
If I am travelling with large sports equipment, that is another £54.
Insurance is around £17.
My one bag of 20 kg or less will cost me just under £10 to check and using my credit card to book the ticket will cost me another £5.
The airline also offers me a spot at the Aviance Lounge in Luton Airport but this time, that real estate goes for £22.50.
Kindly, the airline also enables me to pay just over £6 to balance the carbon dioxide associated with my booking.
Hunger is not cheaply satisfied here either: the plainest sandwich and a bottle of water will run me about £6.
And all this, just to get my holiday started.
I may come back rested. But I will definitely return skint.
Breakdown of costs
Travel to and from Luton: £14 - £86
Extras at Luton: £22.45 (trolley, security priority lane, clear plastic bags, Aviance Lounge)
With Ryanair ticket to Barcelona and extras
Airfare: £55
Taxes & Fees: £35
Extras: £193 (assumes one piece of luggage to check, airport check-in, opting for insurance and fast track boarding, eating a small meal, and travelling with one infant, one car seat, and one piece of sports or musical equipment)
With SkyEurope ticket to Prague and extras:
Airfare: £83
Taxes & fees: £42
Extras: £116.50 (assumes one piece of luggage to check and one piece of large sports equipment, opting for exclusive priority check-in, insurance, and the carbon offset charge, eating a small meal, and a seat in the front or last rows)
TOTALS
Range of costs with Ryanair to Barcelona: £319.45 - £391.45, of which only £55 is the actual airfare.
Range of costs with SkyEurope Airlines to Prague: £277.95 - £349.95, of which less than £85 is the actual airfare.
