What measures would you take to dodge those pesky travel fees?

Jodi Blodgett is so fed up with all the added expenses that she’s chosen to stop flying altogether.

“I avoid travel charges by driving,” she explains. This way, she can bypass absurd fees for luggage as well as avoid the extra costs associated with seat assignments and other hidden charges the airlines impose.

What about you? Would you pack lighter? Choose a less luxurious hotel?

Would you consider bending the truth?

After a demanding year filled with travel, it’s possible we’re all feeling a bit overwhelmed by fees. The frustration of travelers is palpable—it’s not just individuals like Blodgett who have opted to steer clear of flying.

Sky-high fees have taken the joy out of summer travel, leading more people to either visit friends or family or skip traveling altogether. Poor service can be detrimental to businesses. According to the latest National Customer Rage Survey, which highlights unprecedented customer dissatisfaction, companies risk losing $887 billion annually in future revenue, a significant increase from $494 billion in 2020.

Of course, sometimes flying is unavoidable. Blodgett, a photographer based in Webster, Massachusetts, finds it straightforward to reach clients in the tri-state area by car. However, for longer trips, she has no option but to hit the airport.

“Yet,” she adds, “I take significant steps.”

In fact, many travelers are going to great lengths to circumvent these outrageous fees.

The lengths we go to avoid fees!

Here are some clever tactics travelers have been using to dodge fees:

▶◾ Avoiding baggage fees by packing lightly and efficiently. This year, with nearly every major U.S. airline raising checked luggage fees, passengers reacted as expected. “I’ve been cutting down on what I pack and using a single bag that fits under the seat,” shared Daniel Rivera, who operates a property management company in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

▶◾ Choosing not to pay for seat selection—resulting in a middle seat. Kevin Mercier, a project manager in the automotive industry in Paris, said he’s adopted “extreme” strategies to avoid seat selection fees. While this means he often ends up in a middle seat, he’s okay with that: “I’m willing to cope with the limited space and lack of privacy because the cost of choosing a preferred seat can be quite high,” he stated. Mercier is also a travel photographer.

▶◾ Steering clear of hotel resort fees by opting for alternative accommodations. Additional resort fees can surprise travelers on their hotel bills, often after the room rate has already been quoted. Christian Strange, an insurance agent from Virginia Beach, Virginia, refuses to stay at hotels that impose such “gotcha” resort fees. During a recent Miami visit, he passed on a large chain hotel with these fees and opted for a boutique hotel just a short stroll from the beach. “I still enjoyed the location—but for a fraction of the price,” he reported. He’s not alone; travelers frequently express they’ll avoid hotels that charge resort fees.

These tactics demonstrate a significant change in traveler habits, according to Ramzy Ladah, an attorney and seasoned air traveler from Las Vegas.

“People are tired of feeling nickel-and-dimed, and they’re fighting back in the ways they can,” he remarked. “It’s about reclaiming control.”

Would you bend the truth to avoid a fee?

One fascinating topic is whether travelers would resort to dishonesty to escape fees. What exactly constitutes cheating? For a period, passengers could exploit Southwest Airlines’ “Early Bird” access to secure better boarding positions. One traveler would pay extra for early boarding and then save spots for their companions, which frustrated other passengers. (Ultimately, Southwest shut down that loophole and is shifting to assigned seating, eliminating those sneaky Early Bird maneuvers.)

Should the Department of Transportation have its way, airlines would likely be prohibited from charging fees for seating children 13 or under beside their parent or guardian. Even though passengers are required to provide their children’s ages at the time of ticket purchase, I’ve met many travelers who have misrepresented their kids’ ages to avoid these extra charges.

A little insider knowledge makes it easy to dodge resort fees. With a corporate booking code, you might bypass these charges. It’s true—corporate travel managers have successfully negotiated these annoying fees away, but only for their employees or those with access to the booking code. (This strategy comes with no endorsement from me.)

Will travelers stretch the truth to avoid paying fees? Undoubtedly. The logic is straightforward: many view these fees as unjust, often being added after receiving a quote from a travel provider. It feels like deceit. When travelers perceive disrespect, they feel justified to respond in kind.

But two wrongs don’t make a right.

It’s better to steer clear of certain airlines and hotels rather than support them with your business.

What happens to all these fees?

Experts indicate that the situation isn’t looking good.

“The increase in fees has resulted in a more complicated and less transparent booking experience, often misleading travelers about the initial price,” explained Raymond Yorke, a representative for Redpoint Travel Protection. “This has triggered a trend where travelers actively look for ways to avoid these extra costs.”

Yorke pointed out that this also highlights a larger problem in the travel sector, where the focus on additional revenue has taken precedence over customer service. Essentially, it’s clear that travel businesses prioritize profit over your experience.

This shouldn’t be a shocker, right?

Even with your clever strategies to avoid fees, it seems that airlines, in particular, are more entrenched in their fee structures than ever. They aren’t required to cease imposing these charges, nor do they have to explain why they increase them.

Sadly, because many travel companies dominate their respective markets, genuine competition is lacking. (This is especially true for airlines in the U.S.) Therefore, travelers may go to great lengths to dodge these fees, but inevitably, they’ll have no choice but to fork over cash if they want to travel.

Our efforts to avoid fees go beyond simple money-saving tricks; they represent a quiet resistance to an industry that seems to have lost its true purpose. Traveling should broaden our experiences, not empty our pockets.