'31 per cent increase': Major Jetstar warning as airlines shamed over shady price hikes
That's because carriers like Malaysia Airlines, Scoot, and Jetstar make you pay for luggage or seat selection. Kadi Luggage found these extras can cause your final price to shoot up as much as 66 per cent.
'Whilst airlines may present an initially great deal, once you factor in the additional charges...the cost of your ticket can substantially increase," Harry Saunders, co-founder of Kadi Luggage, said.
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The Aussie luggage brand did a comparison amongst some of the most popular airlines to see how consistent prices remained during the booking process.
Researchers selected an an economy trip from Melbourne to Singapore (and two other locations) to leave in late March and return early April.
They assessed how much it would cost to have a bag over 20 kilograms and to pick a specific seat.Malaysia Airlines was found to have the biggest discrepancy, with the initial price quoted at $1,206.06, but once everything was thrown in, the cost for the return trip was $2,004.26 - a 66.18 per cent jump.
The luggage was $363 one-way, and the seat selection cost a little over $36 one-way.
Scoot came second on the list with the price at the start being $296.25 and ending at $405.71 - a near 37 per cent jump - as the bags cost $43.52 one-way and seat selection set the traveller back $11.21.
Jetstar clocked in with a 31.53 per cent increase during the booking process, with the Melbourne to Singapore journey costing $527.12 at the start and $693.34 at the end.
One bag was $83.80 on the way over and $50 on the way back. Seat selection was $21.24 from Melbourne and $11 from Singapore.
Jetstar doesn't hide the prices that customers pay for these extras, and Kadi's list compared low-cost airlines against much bigger competitors like Emirates, Qantas, and Virgin Australia.
'What sets us apart from other airlines is we offer customers the lowest fares and give them the choice to pay for only what they need including extra baggage, seat selection and onboard meals," a Jetstar spokesperson said.
They stressed that Jetstar has always aligned itself as a low-cost airline compared to some of the other carriers named in Kadi Luggage's research.
'Around one in three Jetstar customers travel for less than $100 and our focus is on keeping fares as low as possible so more people can fly," the spokesperson added.
For comparison, Jetstar's $693.34 flight from Melbourne to Singapore is far cheaper compared to:
Qantas: $1,037
Emirates: $1,037.85
Virgin Australia: $2037.03
But on some of those bigger carriers you would also get served a meal or two.
On Jetstar you would be forced to pay for food and some drinks.
Air New Zealand Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Virgin Australia were the only airlines on Kadi Luggage's list that had no additional price for baggage or seat selection.Sign in to access your portfolio
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