Sprogster Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Having just made a couple of bookings on a low cost airline for the first time in several months, is it just me or are the low cost airline websites being constantly re-designed to be confusing and make it more difficult to avoid incurring extra charges accidentally. As rather than opt in you have to increasingly opt out of paying for insurance, checked in luggage and priority boarding amongst others. Sometimes I have picked up on optional charges being reinstated that I have removed, as the web page refreshes, so you really need your wits about you. Then you are bombarded with hire car and hotel options and this can make keeping an eye on the total fare even more tricky as the web page is made more and more cluttered.The latest wheeze seems to be to reduce the hand luggage allowance so it is more difficult to avoid the charges for checked in luggage, then having also reduced the weight allowance for checked in luggage introduce another supplementary charge for heavier checked in luggage. Add to the equation stricter enforcement of the weight allowances and you can see what the airlines are up to!That leaves the credit/debit card charge scam, in that the only reason the Visa Electron card is selected as the one card you can use without paying a surcharge, is that less than 10% of the population have one and it is not readily available being aimed primarily at students. However, if the airlines did not allow one card to be charge free then the credit/card debit card payment charges would cease to be optional and would have to be included in the headline price of the ticket. As more people obtain a Visa Electron card, expect the airlines to announce that another obscure payment card is required to avoid charges, as payment fees are introduced on the Electron card! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 [quote user="Sprogster"]That leaves the credit/debit card charge scam, in that the only reason the Visa Electron card is selected as the one card you can use without paying a surcharge, is that less than 10% of the population have one and it is not readily available being aimed primarily at students. As more people obtain a Visa Electron card, expect the airlines to announce that another obscure payment card is required to avoid charges, as payment fees are introduced on the Electron card![/quote]From other threads, the visa electron card is easy to obtain from the Post office. They call it the travel money card, it is issued immediately (I.D. required) and can be used the following day.Don't blame MOL if only 10% of the population have one. All things considered it is still lo cost travel when compared to a domestic train journey in Britain or taking the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 What do you mean, don't blame MOL ?. It was either him or one of his employees who decided to use the electron card as a clever but legal way of avoiding having to increase the headline price.There is such a thing as being too clever [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 The prime purpose of any business website is to maximise income. Ryanair etc may believe that confusing some will achieve this but in the end customers will make or break the business.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 [quote user="Russethouse"]What do you mean, don't blame MOL ?. It was either him or one of his employees who decided to use the electron card as a clever but legal way of avoiding having to increase the headline price.There is such a thing as being too clever [:)][/quote]Nothing to stop us using the electron card as a clever but legal way of avoiding heavy credit card charges, apart from the queue at the post office [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 [quote user="Iceni"]The prime purpose of any business website is to maximise income. Ryanair etc may believe that confusing some will achieve this but in the end customers will make or break the business.John[/quote]Never a true'er word spoken, If we (the customers) broke the business, who would really be the losers? train fares £££, fuel, ferries and tolls ££, Ryanair £ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacqui Too Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Who mentioned RYANAIR[8-)] Why do you all asume its them?[quote user="Sprogster"]The latest wheeze seems to be to reduce the hand luggage allowance so it is more difficult to avoid the charges for checked in luggage, then having also reduced the weight allowance for checked in luggage introduce another supplementary charge for heavier checked in luggage. Add to the equation stricter enforcement of the weight allowances and you can see what the airlines are up to![/quote]From this extract from 'Sprogster' he/she says 'latest wheeze' so that rules out Ryanair who's hand luggage or hold baggage allowances have not changed in over 2 years!! 10kg for cabin and 15kg for the hold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 [quote user="Sprogster"] That leaves the credit/debit card charge scam, in that the only reason the Visa Electron card is selected as the one card you can use without paying a surcharge, is that less than 10% of the population have one and it is not readily available being aimed primarily at students. However, if the airlines did not allow one card to be charge free then the credit/card debit card payment charges would cease to be optional and would have to be included in the headline price of the ticket. As more people obtain a Visa Electron card, expect the airlines to announce that another obscure payment card is required to avoid charges, as payment fees are introduced on the Electron card![/quote]Twas that bit, from what Sprogster wrote. You mean others are at it to?[:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkhunter Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I think the poster was referring to E...jet, i found that they keep adding things on after you have clicked to cancel them, such as insurance or extra/large baggage etc. As far as MOL goes, and its been said before, love him or hate him he still gets you there and back relatively cheap. If anyone should gripe then it should be us Scots, we have to have 4 flights to get there and back via Stansted, no one single flight, oh no, and we have to get connections, 5 hours in Stansted for the last Glasgow Prestwick flight is no joke.......stop laughing [:D] and show some sympathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 [quote user="teapot"] . You mean others are at it to?[:(][/quote] Oh yes. Cheaptickets.de and cheaptickets.co.uk for example. Mind you the charge is more reasonable, but plus a reservation charge (which is not quite so reasonable). But as others have said elsewhere, if you do not like the add-ons and the final price, don't press the confirm button. As it is, the deals still look better than anything else I can find, so I do press the confirm button. Now the one that really winds me up is TGV-Europe "travel for only 19€". If I ever find which train it is I will post here because the only ones I can find are nearly ten times that price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprogster Posted October 20, 2008 Author Share Posted October 20, 2008 Apparently, it is likely that the payment charges will be challenged by the regulators as they bear no relation to the banking costs involved. As although, most low cost carriers charge a payment fee for each passenger and each flight, the total charge is put through as one total payment to the card company and for a debit card the cost to the airline is only pennies.I think we have a battle of wits going on between the customer and the low cost airlines, in that to protect their business model of being able to advertise at the lowest possible price, they have to make it as difficult as possible for customers to avoid paying for extras. Otherwise, if everyone just paid the cheapest fare and avoided any extras, they would go bust in short order!Just one more thing, don't pay for priority boarding as on some airlines it is not capacity restrained and in theory eveyone on the flight can have it if they are willing to pay!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I have never wanted priority boarding as you'll aways get a seat. Might pay for priority disembarkation though, save getting held up on the way to the car hire desk. That could save you 45mins almost as long as the flight.[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham & Brenda Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 What ID do the Post Office require for an Electron card please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I took passport and a utility bill must not be older than 3 months, driving licence also good need both parts if it is a photo version. Standard money laundering I.D. If you choose the euro option as aposed to stirling you will not have to pay the small admin charge for putting the money onto the card, min £50.00.Try the post office web site http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/jump1;jsessionid=N1QGVNRDBFGQSFB2IGVUUBQUHRA0UQ2K?catId=19300207&mediaId=26800661 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/jump1?catId=19300207&mediaId=26800661You may be able to order it online - I haven't checked right through though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 [quote user="sharkhunter"]If anyone should gripe then it should be us Scots, we have to have 4 flights to get there and back via Stansted, no one single flight, oh no, and we have to get connections, 5 hours in Stansted for the last Glasgow Prestwick flight is no joke.......stop laughing [:D] and show some sympathy[/quote]Well if you will live in the furthest flung outposts of the empire....[:P][:D]My regular trips to Aberdeen, the most miserable city in the known universe BTW, is a doddle - KLM from Toulouse via Schipol - but then the company are paying the fare which does have a marginal bearing on things, as does a Gold card for relaxing in the executive lounges [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 The downside of the Electron card is that you are at the mercy of the exchange rate which means you're gambling on it having moved in your favour when you come to use it so you do need to do the sums and not just congratulate yourself that you've thwarted MOL and denied him his £4 !It's probably of more use to those using RA on a frequent basis or families rather than the occasional single flier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 [quote user="ErnieY"] just congratulate yourself that you've thwarted MOL and denied him his £4 ![/quote]ErnieY, it must be your over use of the company gold card, Its closer to £16 or as I put it Buy 3 and get one free [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 You're right of course teapot, it's been a while since RA has had any of my money because we made a concious decision some time ago that, emergencies excepted, we would drive to UK rather than fly, as we indeed did last Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Yep, sprongster, I recognised it as the Easyjet site as soon as I started reading your first post. They are probably the LoCo I've got most confidence in but I agree with you ...their website of late has become a dangerous place to navigate - I too have accidently added insurance I didn't want. Such a shame because it had been just about the "cleanest" of any of the airline websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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