Think your flight was a bargain? A new study shows hidden airline fees on extras, add-ons and additional charges could cost Australians up to two-thirds more than the original ticket price.

Kadi Luggage crunched the data on international route flight prices from Australia to determine which airlines offered the best bang for buck and which carriers were hiking up costs through ancillaries and hidden airline fees – something advisors know all about.

The study surveyed similar routes between 6,000 and 8,000km for a seven-day round trip and assessed the additional fees to meet standardised requirements: minimum of 20kg checked luggage, seven kilograms of cabin luggage and seat selection.

The initial flight price was compared with the final cost to uncover the percentage increase accounting for the additional hidden airline fees. 

Topline takeaway

Virgin Australia crew in empty aircraft cabin.
Virgin Australia does not charge for seat selection or additional luggage costs up to 20kg. Image: Virgin Australia

The study showed Malaysia Airlines has the highest fees for extra baggage and seat selection, charging passengers up to 66 per cent more than the original return ticket price quoted.

Scoot and Jetstar were found to be charging customers over 30 per cent more than the original flight price for seat selection and checked-in baggage. 

In contrast, Virgin Australia, Qatar Airways and Air New Zealand are the most cost-stable throughout the whole payment journey, charging no additional costs for checked luggage up to 20kg and seat selection.

Additional baggage fees

Couple sitting in Qsuite business class cabin aboard Qatar Airways aircraft
Qatar Airways has the most generous checked baggage allowance at 35kg. Image: Qatar Airways

While all airlines allow a minimum of seven kilograms for cabin baggage without incurring an additional fee, Scoot offers the most generous cabin allowance at 10kg.

However, Scoot also has the lowest checked baggage allowance with none included in the economy ticket unless travellers upgrade to the ScootPlus airfare at nearly double the price. Scoot’s add-on fee for checked luggage up to 20kg costs around 29 per cent of the initial flight cost

Malaysia Airlines offers just 10kg of checked luggage allowance included in the flight price and the cost for additional checked luggage up to 20kg can cost travellers around 60 per cent of the initial flight price.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airlines has the most generous checked baggage allowance for the round trip analysed, offering 35kg included in the cost of flights. 

Seat selection

Air New Zealand's Thirteen Forty Five is coming soon.
Air New Zealand does not charge any fees for seat selection. Image: Air New Zealand

Cathay Pacific was revealed to have the highest seat selection fees, amounting to 11.96 per cent of the initial cost of the flight, followed by Qantas with seat selection totalling 7.71 per cent of the initial flight cost.

Air New Zealand, Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia all charged no additional fees for seat selection.

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