It’s no surprise that European discount carriers advertise ludicrously low fares and then start tacking on the fees. But what ARE some of those fees? The Guardian takes on Ryanair:

Customers seeking a 79p fare on Ryanair end up paying far more. A traveller paying by credit card and needing to check in a single bag will end up with a bill of £20.22 – after tax, an airport charge, a baggage charge, a payment fee and a 33p “wheelchair levy” to cover the cost of carrying disabled passengers.

But it is the insurance surcharge, amounting to more than 10% of Ryanair’s average fare, which is coming under the greatest scrutiny. In common with other airlines, Ryanair introduced it in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001 to cover a spike in the cost of insuring planes.

Yes, yes, Ryanair is still dirt cheap. It’s also really nasty to their employees and treats them to some questionable training practices. My favorite revelation in the Guardian piece: “On one occasion, [Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary] banned head office staff from charging their mobile phones at work on the grounds that it was costing Ryanair too much money.” (And you thought finding an outlet at the airport was bad!)

Such fees, plus the fuel surcharges that airlines are continually tacking on, are one area where I’d really like to see stronger regulation. As I’ve suggested earlier, just giving a base fare and then tacking on endless fees is false advertising. In the case of Ryanair, collecting fees for charges they don’t incur is not just unethical: It’s their business model.