As summer approaches and travel demand begins to surge, millions of consumers are already securing flights, whether through travel agencies or direct online bookings. Yet, the booking experience remains fraught with friction, particularly due to the growing number of additional charges levied by airlines for services that were once standard, ranging from seat selection to name corrections.
With airfares projected to rise by 2.8% this year, flying abroad is set to become even more expensive, posing a challenge for travellers from Europe and the United Kingdom already contending with a persistent cost-of-living squeeze. While low-cost carriers may appear to offer relief, the reality is often more complex. In this report, the team at Tradingpedia investigates the true cost of flying in 2025, analysing base fares and the full extent of hidden and ancillary fees charged by major European airlines. The findings shed light on whether budget airlines are genuinely cost-effective or merely perceived as such.
The Most Common Hidden Costs of Airline Fares
Travellers who hope to secure affordable flights may be booking at just the right moment, as many airlines and travel agencies roll out seasonal discounts and package deals ahead of the summer surge. Historically, March and April have proven to be optimal months for locking in lower fares. However, as budget carriers lower base ticket prices to attract customers, they increasingly rely on ancillary fees to recover margins.
To their credit, these surcharges, ranging from seat selection to name-change fees, are not entirely hidden. They are disclosed during the booking process, screen by screen. But they are rarely included in headline prices or promotional fare ads, meaning the true cost of a flight only becomes apparent toward the end of the purchase journey.
For this comparison, we focused on fares promoted as “value,” “budget,” or “standard” options (the ones most frequently booked by cost-conscious travellers) rather than premium fare classes. Our comparison is based on one-way flights from London to Madrid (or if unavailable, Athens, Rome, or Amsterdam) on 21 July, a peak season for travel.
Baggage Fees
Typically, budget airlines charge fees for any baggage larger than a small bag that can fit under the front seat, so before booking, passengers need to check exactly what they will be required to pay if they want to bring more luggage.
Ryanair, for one, allows you to take only one small bag (40cm x 20cm x 25cm) for free, or pay for a slightly more expensive fare when booking (£6 – £36) if you want to take two cabin bags – one small and one up to 10 kg. Of course, the post-booking fee is slightly higher (£20 – £60). The cost of checked luggage is steeper – from £9.49 to £44.99 for a 10-kg bag and from £18.99 to £59.99 for checked-in luggage of 20 kg. Excess baggage can be purchased only post booking or at the airport for £13 per extra kilogram.
Jet2 passengers are allowed to carry one piece of hand luggage free of charge if it weighs no more than 10kg and measures up to 56cm x 45cm x 25cm in size, including any wheels and handles. Additionally, handbags, laptops, and other small items can be brought into the cabin. Up to three 22kg hold bags (per person, per flight) are allowed if the applicable charge is paid – note that the fee will be displayed while booking but may differ depending on the date of travel, destination, type of fare, and so on. Jet2 has not published any fixed fees on its website – we made two bookings where the charge was £38 per bag. If any of the bags are heavier, you will need to pay the standard excess baggage rate of £12 per kilo.
If you fly with easyJet, you will also be allowed to bring one small bag for free – the maximum dimensions here are 45cm x 36cm x 20cm. A second, slightly larger cabin bag is allowed for those who purchase extra legroom and the upfront seat option – you can also pay for this second bag with a fee of at least £5.99. The standard fare does not include any checked in luggage, so you will need to pay extra – fees start from £6.99 for a bag of up to 15 kg and from £9.49 if the hold baggage weighs up to 23 kg. Depending on the flight, date, etc, you could be charged as much as £50.49. The excess weight charge is £12 per kilo.
A small carry-on bag (40cm x 30cm x 20 cm) can be brought for free on board a Wizz Air flight, and passengers can also bring a larger trolley bag if they purchase a more expensive fare (Wizz Priority). Neither bag can exceed 10 kg. When it comes to hold baggage, the airline very generously allows up to 6 bags to be checked in per person. The price depends on the weight of the bag and whether it is low or peak season – charges vary from £17.01 to £153.95 during the high season. Once again, for excess weight, you will be charged £13 per kilo.
Those who fly with Norwegian and opt for a LowFare ticket will need to pay between £14.90 and £24.90 for an overhead cabin bag (max 55cm x 40cm x 23cm, 10 kg). For domestic flights, this is a fixed fee of £12.09. A small underseat bag can be brought on board for free. The cheaper fares do not include checked baggage, and the airline charges you £14.35 – £32.48 per bag on international flights. A second checked bag costs between £22.59 and £34. The fee for excess weight is £12 per kilo.
British Airways also offers cheaper fares in its Economy Basic bundle, and includes two pieces of small hand luggage – a handbag or a laptop bag, plus one slightly larger cabin bag. Everything else comes at an additional cost, but checked bags, for instance, cannot be added during the initial booking, so travellers will need to purchase those at a later stage. Prices start from £40 for the first piece of checked baggage, £60 for the second, and each following bag costs £80, with the allowed weight being 23 kg – heavier bags are charged £65 per bag and one-way journey.
Budget-friendly Vueling flights are also available to holidaymakers if they opt for a Basic fare. It allows for bringing one underseat bag sized 40x30x20cm and a second piece of luggage up to 10kg sized 55x40x20cm, while adding cabin baggage costs between £8.57 and £50.18 if you purchase it online and between £38.27 and £63.79 if you do so at the airport (it should not exceed 10kg). However, if passengers opt for a checked cabin bag during the booking process, the price could be reduced. Checked bags and cases come at a price range of £8.51 – £136.09, depending on the weight of the bag, the destination and the date of the flight. Excess baggage costs £10.21 per kg at the check-in desk.
Seat Selection Fees
Seat selection, as well as opting for extra legroom, more space, or front seats, usually incurs an additional fee if you purchase a low-cost ticket. Some airlines also offer travel companions to sit together even if they have not picked any specific seats – this, of course, also costs a few pounds. The only exception is made for young children as companies will always try to place them next to at least one of the adults from their travelling party, so in most cases, you will not have to pay extra to sit next to your 5-year-old.
It is important to note that seat selection is always optional, even if you do not see this option anywhere at the time of booking. Most airlines urge passengers to pick a seat (rather than require that of them), but they can also complete your booking without choosing a specific seat. In this case, you will receive a random seat a few days before departing – this is completely free of charge but may be inconvenient, especially if you are travelling with other people.
Ryanair has the lowest charges – from £4.50 to £15.50, depending on where you wish to be seated, while the fee on Jet2 flights is between £10.50 and £15.50. Wizz Air charges passengers anything from £3.40 to £51.03 for seat selection, easyJet – between £6.99 and £23.99, and Vueling – from £4.45 to £26.68 online and £4.45 to £28.46. With Norwegian, you will need to pay from £9.9 to £45, whereas with British Airways, the seat selection fee is not clearly disclosed on the website. We tried to make several bookings through the website, and you can make reservations through bundles from Economy Basic to Business. There is a free seat choice from 48 hours before departure included in the Economy Plus package, and a free seat choice in the Economy Semi-Flex and Economy Fully Flex packages.
Online Booking and Check-in Fees
Until a few years ago, many airlines charged some type of administration fee when booking a flight, but this is now almost non-existent, with fees being charged only for flight reservations made at the airport.
However, Wizz Air still requires passengers to pay an administration fee (£6.80 – £11.06) for booking via the website, the mobile app, its call centre and at the airport. It also has an odd System Surcharge Fee, which may be applied to bookings made by automated systems. In reality, you may be charged £8.51 if you use an ad blocker or the system flags your browser activity as suspicious.
Ryanair does charge the symbolic fee of £0.59 for online bookings, but any reservation made at the airport comes with a hefty £50 fee. There is also a £55 fee for airport check-in for those who purchased cheaper flights; there is free check-in for Plus and Flexi Plus passengers.
Norwegian has free, automated check-in but charges £30 for bookings made by phone or at the airport, while changes made to the booking come at the price of £60 plus the price difference. There is also a £9 charge for connecting flights.
Wizz Air also charges £11.06 if you check in online and £34.02 at the airport. The airline also allows you to opt for an auto check-in, which is considerably cheaper at just £2.50. With Jet2, you will need to pay £12 – £15 for checking in online and £12 for checking in at the airport, while with easyJet, the check-in is free online and £45 at the airport.
Other Fees That May Be Hidden
There are plenty of additional fees and surcharges when booking a flight. Typically, the services you pay for extras are optional, such as extra legroom or additional checked baggage. Of course, you would also expect to pay for any food on board the plane, rental car reservations and so on. However, in some cases, passengers have no choice but to purchase these “optional” services.
One of these is the group administration fee – it is £8.93 if you fly with Wizz Air, but with easyJet, group bookings are charged £20 per person. Also, Ryanair has a card payment fee, so you may be charged a percentage of the total transaction if you pay via a credit or debit card.
When you fly with an infant (under the age of 2 at the time of the flight), you do not need to purchase a ticket, but there is a mandatory fee. With Wizz Air, it is £27.22, while with easyJet or Ryanair, it is £25, and Jet2 charges you only £20. Norwegian, on the other hand, offers infant tickets, which cost 10% of the adult fare plus any airport taxes. Vueling also has an infant fee, ranging from £13.33 to £137.82 depending on the adult’s fare, the destination and the date of the flight.
Another fee that seems barely optional is the so-called rescue fee charged by all airlines when the passenger misses the flight. If you arrive at the airport right before or shortly after takeoff, you can pay the rescue fee, and you will be given a seat on the next flight. Ryanair charges £100 per person, easyJet – £110, while Vueling has a rescue fee starting from £93 for international flights. Wizz Air’s rescue fee is only £68.04, and Jet2’s rescue fee is the cheapest at £27. The other airlines also charge a fee, but do not clearly state how much it amounts to on their websites. In some cases, the passenger is required to cancel the booking and rebook another flight at current prices.
Of course, there are many other fees you may be charged outside of the actual cost of the airfare, so you need to make sure you are aware of all carrier policies for baggage, flight cancellation, or travelling with children, just to name a few.
TradingPedia.com is a financial media specialized in providing daily news and education covering Forex, equities and commodities. Our academies for traders cover