Anchorage Daily News

It's tough to keep a good attitude about airlines these days. Hardly a day goes by without the worst airlines hiking fares and adding on more frivolous fees, at the same time reducing services. Everyone knows that fuel prices are up, up, up. But it appears that many carriers are using the gas prices as a "get out of jail free" card to annoy passengers with an array of add-ons and extra charges. Here are some of the highlights:

Preferred seating. I love sitting on the aisle, especially in the exit row. Northwest Airlines will charge you $15-$35 per flight for that nice seat. The cost on USAirways is at least $5 -- it's tough to find the exact cost unless you book a ticket. United Airlines offers its "Economy Plus" seating, with up to five extra inches of legroom, for about $39 per segment, depending on the length of the flight.

Baggage fees. So far, Alaska Airlines still allows you to travel with one checked bag for free. Your second bag will cost $25. The same is true for Continental, Northwest and Delta. United, American and USAirways will charge you $15 for your first bag. Oh, make sure your bag is less than 50 pounds. If it weighs more, there are additional fees. Let's not talk about your third and fourth bags. Heck, it may be cheaper to buy your bag a seat on the plane next to you!

Call center service. Unless you make your reservations on an airline's Web site, you will pay an extra fee. Whether you purchase a ticket at the airline counter or on the phone, airlines now will assess an extra fee. USAirways charges $25 per ticket. Delta and Northwest charge $15 extra. By comparison, a full-service travel agent typically charges between $35 and $40 per ticket. Third-party Web sites like Travelocity and Expedia typically charge between $7 and $15 per ticket.

In-flight charges. I love USAirways' new strategy to charge $2 for water on board the aircraft. That's sure to make for a happy flight! The same applies for soda pop. Cocktails now will cost a whopping $7. Alaska Airlines charges $5-$10 to rent its portable movie players. Other airlines typically charge $5 for their headphones so you can watch the in-flight movie. At press time, Continental still serves free food on its flights between Anchorage and Seattle. Alaska Airlines charges $5 for either its snack box or a cheeseburger.

Fuel surcharges. Right now, domestic fuel surcharges are rolled into the total price of an airline ticket. I think that is more straightforward than tacking it on afterward. Heck, there are international tickets right now where the taxes and surcharges exceed the actual price.

Other hidden fees. We didn't talk about the extra fees for unaccompanied minors, for pets, for refunds or changes. Everything's going up. Further, some old-style "legacy airlines" like United are adding more restrictions on their cheapest tickets, including minimum stays. Thankfully, Alaska Airlines still offers just one-way fares.

Of course, airlines do not have an exclusive on annoying fees and surcharges. Think "resort fees" at hotels or "concession recovery fees" for rental cars. But it appears that airlines are coming up with more ways to annoy travelers faster than anyone else.

One airline, Southwest, charges for a ticket, without many of the silly add-on fees. Southwest does not fly to Alaska yet -- but local airlines should copy this policy.

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based travel marketing consultant. E-mail him at zoom@toursaver.com.

Scott's tips

• SOUTHWEST AIRLINES FEE POLICY: The carrier boasts that it has none of the least-popular extra fees. Bravo. tinyurl.com/63wskb

• HOTEL RESORT FEES IN HAWAII: It's amazing hotels get away with this nonsense. Here's a quick guide. travel-hawaii.com/hawaiiresortfees.html

• CAR RENTAL ADD-ONS ARE BIG BUSINESS: As reported in the New York Times. tinyurl.com/3s8e2l

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