How to avoid hidden costs when traveling
Travel is almost always an additional expense, even if you've managed to use your points and miles for airline tickets and hotel stays.
You can plan ahead for some of the more costly extras, such as dining out and airport transportation, but hidden fees and unanticipated add-ons always seem to creep up during a trip.
Fortunately, with a bit of studying and extra organization, you can predict, prepare for and perhaps even avoid some of these additional costs entirely. Consult this guide to learn more about some of the hidden fees you might encounter on your next getaway.
Resort Fees
Resort fees — sometimes known as destination or urban fees — are typically added to your final bill for every night of your stay. The fees are allegedly in place to pay for things like gym or pool use, but you're usually charged regardless of whether or not you used the amenities.
Before traveling, check to see if your hotel charges these pesky fees. Pay special attention to not only the amount, but also if it's a per person fee or a room fee. Prepaying for your stay on a website such as Booking.com often bundles your fees together ahead of time, so you can clearly see if you'll be paying a resort fee. Or, you can simply try to stay at a hotel that doesn't charge these fees — but that may be difficult it places that are notorious for these additional charges (think: Las Vegas and Orlando).
Another option is to hold elite status at a large hotel chain. For example, Hyatt waives resort fees on paid stays for Globalist elites. Using points for your stay can be another way to get out of paying these pesky fees. Neither Hyatt nor Hilton charge resort fees to guests who paid for their stay with points.
Foreign Exchange Fees
Using a credit card to pay for expenses when traveling abroad is obviously much more comfortable than dealing with cash in a foreign currency, but be careful that your card of choice isn't charging you added foreign transaction. One way to avoid these irritating charges is to apply for a credit card with zero foreign transaction fees. Another tip is to always select the local currency when given the option, as your card is being charged abroad. The conversion rate you'll later see on your statement is better than the conversion offered to you in the moment of the charge.
Baggage Fees
If you plan to bring hold baggage, familiarize yourself with the airline's fare class hold baggage policies. Reserving and paying for the hold baggage at the time of booking or adding it online before your day of travel usually offers you the best deal. If you show up at the airport and find out hold baggage wasn't included with your ticket, you'll usually be charged much more to check it then.
Hidden fees can also apply to carry-on baggage, too — especially if you're traveling with a low-cost carrier like Ryanair or easyJet. Use this handy chart to understand the detailed carry-on baggage regulations for some of the UK's most popular low-cost carriers, including information on how many bags you can bring as well as weight and size limits. Know that if your bag is larger, you will be charged extra, even during the boarding process. Doing the research ahead, packing accordingly and weighing your bags with a handy luggage scale can help you avoid these extra surcharges.
Boarding Pass or Check-In Fees
Make sure to check in and print your boarding pass at home or download it to your mobile phone, as some airlines (primarily low-cost carriers) charge travelers to check in or print their boarding pass at the airport.
Ryanair passengers who don't check in online and print their boarding pass at home or download a mobile pass (when available), for example, must pay $60 to check in at the airport and $27 to print their boarding card at the airport. Just consider that if you forgot to check in and print ahead of time for a family of four, you'd pay $239 at the airport to do so -- an expense quite likely higher than the total cost of your original tickets.
Transport Scams
Some of the biggest rip-offs you'll encounter when traveling abroad are unscrupulous taxi drivers ready to cheat you out of your newly-acquired local currency. Using rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft, among others, ensures you won't have to negotiate fares or deal with fixed meters. You'll see the price of your ride on your phone before committing; avoid language barriers or confusion when trying to explain where you're going; and avoid dealing with cash in an unfamiliar currency. Plus, if anything goes wrong or you're overcharged, you can challenge it with the app's customer service, rather than take it up directly with the driver.
Mobile Roaming Charges
You definitely don't want to arrive home relaxed and rejuvenated after your holiday to a $400 phone bill thanks to roaming charges. Before traveling, confirm with your mobile provider what your options are for roaming packages and select one that best fits your needs. Or, if your phone is unlocked, buy a local SIM card upon arrival to swap out with your regular card. Another option is to turn off your roaming and connect to Wi-Fi only when you need it. After all, an internet detox never hurts!
Taxes and Fees on Award Travel
Sometimes fees added onto "free" airfare purchased using points or miles can be astronomical. Unfortunately, the UK is one of the worst offenders when it comes to these additional fees, as its government-imposed Air Passenger Duty (APD) is applied on all international flights departing from the UK. These fees are based on the distance you travel and your class of service. The charges start at $14 but can be as high as $187.
But some fees come directly from the airline, and not the government. Some of the airlines most notorious for adding hefty surcharges are Austrian, Air France, British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, KLM, Qatar and Virgin Atlantic.
Some programs, however, won't charge these fees on partner airline tickets, like Avianca LifeMiles. United also has lower fees than some other carriers. Using Iberia as all alternative to British Airways is also another way to avoid high fees.
Money-Change Fees
You may need cash when traveling abroad, and you will likely lose out, at least a little bit, when changing currency. The best way to avoid high exchange fees is to consider taking cash out from a local ATM. Just check with your bank first to see what fees will be charged — and ask if they have a partnership with international banks (Barclays, for example, has an agreement with Bank of America as part of the Global ATM Alliance).
If your bank charges excessive fees, do a little research about your destination to see where you can get the best rate on exchanging cash. In some destinations, it could be the airport or a specific money-change chain. In places like Cuba or Myanmar, where cash is king, things may deviate from the norm, so asking locals is also a good way to find the best spot. One rule of thumb is to avoid changing money at big hotels, which often give terrible rates.