Airlines are getting stricter with seat fees – as passengers are being forced to pay extra

PASSENGERS trying to avoid pricey extras when paying for flights may soon struggle to keep costs down.

Airlines are cracking down on free seat reservations – with some even charging for it in business class.

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Most airlines have scrapped free seat reservations – and it’s even affecting business travellers[/caption]

Most budget airlines are known for charging extra fees for seats, along with hand luggage and priority boarding.

Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air all charge, with passengers who don’t pay being given any seat at check in.

Despite this, some airlines that used to offer this for free are also scrapping this – even if you are paying thousands for your flight already.

British Airways business class passengers now have to pay extra for a seat, USA Today reports, which can cost between £60-£100 extra, each way.

Air France and KLM also introduced this fee to business classe passengers last year.

Even non-budget carriers such as American Airlines now charge economy travellers for a reserved one.

Jay Sorensen, president of airline consulting firm IdeaWorksCompany told the website: “These fees are beginning to rival what they collect for baggage at many carriers.

“The extent to which they have been such powerful generators of revenue has been a surprise to me as well.”

The company estimates that as much as $4.2billion is made from seat fare revenue from eight of the major US airlines in the US in one year.

While passengers don’t have to pay for a seat, it could mean you end up being split up from your friends and family on a long flight.

Or, you could end up with a middle seat, at the back of the flight.

It’s not just free seats that airlines are cracking down on.

Hand luggage travellers are also finding stricter rules, with many passengers opting to ditch the checked in bag to save money.

This, however, has resulted in full overhead cabins and even delayed flights.

And some experts have called to rid cabins of lockers entirely to prevent this.

David Young, who has worked on cabin designs for airlines for Teague, previously said: “I’d say we’re at a breaking point. We’ve hit as big as we can go.

“Maybe we don’t need carry-ons at all.

“Someone needs to step out and say, ‘We’re not doing this anymore. This isn’t the right experience for air travel.’”

Until then, here’s some clever ways to make sure you can fit everything in your hand luggage size bag.

Stuff your sandals

To avoid them getting bent en route, stuff them underwear and socks so they keep their shape.

Remember to also slot them together in the suitcase to save even more space.

Tie things together

Use belts to tie items together so clothes don’t move around and get creased.

This can also keep them condensed in one shape.

Packing cubes

Packing cubes let you fit a lot more in your suitcase as well as keep it organised.

Look out for compression cubes too, which compact even further.

Alamy

You don’t have to pay the fee – just don’t expect to be sat next to each other[/caption]