Travel fees and surcharges: Elliott tells us what we should expect in return

Yesterday, Grant told us matter-of-factly to suck it up and get used to the fees airlines are now charging for extra checked luggage. The fees are here to stay, he says, and more airlines are likely to follow suit.

Is 2008 turning into “the year of the fee” for travelers? Christopher Elliott sure thinks so. If you’re looking for a nice breakdown of all the extras us travelers are facing out there these days, check out this dispatch from Elliott.

Elliott posits that while you may not be able to do anything about fees — and he singles out additional luggage, security, fuel and resort surcharges — you certainly have the right to expect somethings in exchange, like:

  • A refund on fuel surcharges if the price of oil goes down
  • Better luggage tracking technology
  • Security screening technology that can scan liquids and gels
  • A more logical TSA “no-fly” list (one that weeds out five-year-old children)

OK, so there’s a lot of wishful thinking here. But his basic question is spot on: If we’re going to be shelling out more on our travels, shouldn’t be demanding something in return?