Additional Charges for Airlines

• Savvy airline customers can keep an eye out for, and hopefully avoid, extraneous fees. airplane image by Clarence Alford from Fotolia.com

  It's getting more and more expensive to fly. In addition to airfare, on to which taxes and fees of indeterminate origin are often tacked, airlines are getting better at finding ways to squeeze another dollar out of passengers. Free meals have become virtually nonexistent. Transatlantic flights still offer a free pillow and blanket -- for a fee. The already-high cost of flying has become astronomical, as airlines systematically eliminate the freebies and raise prices on existing services.

Luggage

• suitcases image by Alexander Ivanov from Fotolia.com

  Increasingly, airlines are bulking up the pricing on both checked and carry-on luggage. The formerly standard "one free carry-on item" is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, with some airlines (including Spirit Airlines) charging as much as $30 for the convenience. Checked luggage is also becoming pricier. Nearly all U.S. airlines charge $25 for the first checked bag, and sometimes as much as twice that for the second.

Food & Drinks

• Save money on your next flight by bringing your own in-flight snacks. snack image by Tino Hemmann from Fotolia.com

  The free in-flight meal has become all but a thing of the past. While a handful of airlines (Continental and Delta, for example) still offer complimentary snacks, a full meal is costly. Hawaiian, Virgin America, and United Airlines all charge $9-10 for meals, and the other airlines are not much cheaper. The good news is that on nearly all U.S. airlines, non-alcoholic beverages are still complimentary. Beer or wine, however, can cost as much as $10.

Comfort

• The little plastic-wrapped pillow, blanket, and headset that used to come standard on longer flights is preparing to exit the skies for good. Non-U.S. airlines (such as Lufthansa, a popular German airline) still offer the freebies, but US Airways, Virgin America, JetBlue, and American all charge $7-8 for this little luxury. Occasionally, the headsets are available separately for about $2.

Seating

• Airlines and frequent fliers know that all seats are not created equal. In recent years, the most desirable seats -- the bulkhead seats and seats on the exit row, for example -- have jumped in price compared to their less-roomy counterparts. Other airlines have begun charging passengers for the privilege of choosing their seat. Spirit Airlines, for example, charges as much as $75 for a "premium" seat (near the front of the plane). Other seats on Spirit flights range from $5 to $18. Check with the airline directly before booking a ticket to avoid incurring unexpected seating charges.