Airport Parking and Hotels (APH.com) Updates Low Cost Airline Extra Charges Research

Sussex, UK (24th April, 2012) – With many of the low-cost airlines introducing new ‘booking’ fees during 2012, Airport Parking and Hotels (www.aph.com) has updated their extra charges research to help travellers plan ahead and keep travel costs to a minimum. The research is available in the Know Before You Go section of the website at www.aph.com/lowcostextracharges.

The research compares the extra charges imposed by budget airlines flying from UK airports, including checking-in fees, excess baggage fees, credit card charges, seat reservation charges and costs for cancelling or making changes to the flight.

With regards to checking-in, most airlines were found to offer free online check-in apart from Jet2.com which charges £1.00 per flight and Ryanair, which charges £6.00 per person, per one way flight. If checking-in at the airport or through a call-centre, then the cost was found to vary with Jet2.com charging a fee of £6.00 per flight, BMI Baby charging £11.00 per person, per flight and Ryanair charging £12.00 per person, per flight. Passengers flying with Ryanair should be careful when checking-in online, however, as if customers forget to bring their printed boarding pass, then Ryanair will issue a ‘boarding pass reissue penalty’ fee of £40 per person, per one way flight.

Most airlines were also found to include an ‘admin fee’ with easy Jet replacing its booking fee earlier this year, with a £9.00 administration fee for every booking. BMI Baby, however, charges £8.00 per passenger for online bookings and £11.00 at the airport or through a call centre. Ryanair do not charge anything for online bookings but £20.00 per passenger, per one way flight when booked at the airport or through a call centre, adding £40.00 to each booking.

Costs for checked-in baggage were also found to vary greatly, with Ryanair announcing an increase in their fees during 2012. During the peak periods of June, July, August, September and Christmas in 2012, the airline will increase its checked-in baggage fee from £20 to £25 per bag for all online bookings. Customers checking-in two bags of 15kg from June to September will be charged £50 per bag.

Some of the airlines have also now introduced a fee for reserving seats with Jet2.com charging from £2.49 per flight, Ryanair charging £10.00 one way and BMI Baby £11.00 per person, per one way flight when paid for at the airport or through a call centre. Extra legroom seats are also now available, ranging from £3 to £25 depending on which seat is chosen.

For further information on Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) visit,

www.aph.com or call 01342 859515.

*Research is compiled from information available on all airport websites and is correct as of April 2012

About Airport Parking and Hotels:

Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is the UK’s award winning long stay airport parking operator and booking agency, after winning the Best Airport Parking Company for a second year running at British Travel Awards 2011. This year APH also celebrates its 32nd year as a retailer and operator of pre-booked airport parking and travel extras. APH offers parking at all major UK airports as well as airport hotels packaged with parking and airport lounges. APH is also a carbon balanced company

and has, through support of the World Land Trust, helped purchase more than 1,000 acres of endangered rainforest.

Contact:

Media Enquiries

Sarah Salord / Jessica Meins

McCluskey International

Sussex, UK

Tel: 020 8237 7979

Web: http://www.aph.com/

Email: aph@mccluskey.co.uk