Expedia to display hidden airline fees

Monday, 21 Oct, 2015 0

Online travel giant Expedia is on a mission to bring a little more transparency to airline booking.

The OTA will display airlines’ extra fees alongside base ticket prices in a search.

The ‘Upgrade Options’ function lists various price options that include checked baggage fees and relevant cancellation and change fees.

Expedia has started listing the options for Delta Air Lines in the US and Airberlin in Europe, with an aim of adding ‘dozens more shortly,’ said Greg Schulze, Expedia senior vice president of global tour and transport.

"There is a huge amount of data we are collecting, along with information we have to help travellers to make informed decisions. We are starting to be more confident in ourselves in helping travellers compare options," Schulze said.

The ‘Baggage Calculator’ will display baggage fees and checked and carry-on bag policies for different airlines during a flight search.

Expedia is betting more airlines will come onboard despite the fact that ancillary revenue is a big earner that carriers have stubbornly tried to keep for themselves.

"We accept we have two customers: travellers and supply partners. Airlines have seen it is much better to work with us, and not just be out there to sell a bunch of tickets. We want to help with operational issues and provide good info to travellers, and that only helps airlines," Schulze added.

below social share icons

Bev

Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.

NSW, Australia Welcome to New South Wales – a place to feel free, feel alive, feel new. As the official...

Virtuoso is the leading global network of agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel, with more than 20,000 advisors. We...

Jet2.com is the UK’s third largest airline, flying from ten UK airports to more than 60 destinations across Europe and beyond....

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 93 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives,...

It’s easy to find perfection in Santa Barbara, but what if there was even more of your favorite finds, activities,...

Here at Elegant Resorts, luxury travel is in our DNA. True pioneers in the industry, we were the first specialist...

We work with reliable data providers with global coverage, that guarantee data representativeness as well as compliance with International Personal...

The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors’ experiences by providing information, resources and trip planning tools...

Celebrating its 30-year anniversary in 2022, Regent Seven Seas Cruises® offers guests An Unrivaled Experience® with every luxury included. Carrying...

Since its launch in 1999, TravelMole.com has become, one of the largest global online travel industry communities. It is comprised...

ECOMMPAY is an international payment service provider and direct bank card acquirer, engineering bespoke payment solutions for clients worldwide. Our...

Nium was founded on the mission to build the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the on-demand...

At Visit California, our mission is to develop and maintain marketing programs – in partnership with the state’s travel industry...

Chargebacks911 offers scalable solutions that are customized for any business of any size in any industry. With the flexibility to...

Traveltek is the world-leading provider of online solutions for the travel trade, from consumer-facing websites to call centre applications. We...

From the Tel Aviv beach scene to the shores of the Dead Sea, Israel layers diverse cultures, outdoor adventures, and...

With long periods of Thailand’s History, according to evidences and studies, Sukhothai was the first kingdom of Thailand. At that time, an early Thai...