Until recently, the only fees that travelers had to worry about were from airlines. Paying more for checked luggage, seat reservations, in-flight meals and just about anything else the airlines could think up (we’re looking at you, Spirit) had become commonplace. According to a study by industry analyst IdeaWorks, airline fees rose 11% this year over 2011 and hit an all-time high of $36.1 billion. Now add-on fees are becoming pervasive in other parts of the industry. According to a report from New York University, the lodging industry is expected to bring in almost $2 billion in fees and surcharges in 2012, a $100 million jump over last year, for everything from early-departure penalties and using a hotel’s business center to going online and canceling reservations early. Meanwhile, the cruise industry has started conjuring up new costly services for its customers, including charging for early boarding, on-shore outings and even dinner reservations.
Business & Money
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9. Travel Fees Aren’t Just at the Airport Anymore
Full List
Top 10 Business Blunders
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- 9. Walmart’s Mexican Bribery Scandal
- 8. Apple and Book Publishers Collude to Raise E-Book Prices
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- 6. Never-Ending European Debt Crisis
- 5. Apple Drops Google Maps from the iPhone
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- 1. LIBOR Rate-Rigging Scandal
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- 5. T-Mobile Acquires MetroPCS
- 4. Facebook Buys Instagram for $1 Billion
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Top 10 Recession and Budget Trends
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- 3. Lena Dunham’s “Your First Time”
- 2. Samsung’s “Next Big Thing”
- 1. Clint Eastwood’s Chrysler Super Bowl Ad