Booking travel online through popular websites offers convenience and the ability to compare prices easily. However, the final price paid often ends up being higher than initially advertised due to various mandatory fees and surcharges that aren’t always clearly disclosed upfront. This practice, sometimes referred to as “drip pricing” or “junk fees,” has led to consumer frustration, regulatory investigations, and lawsuits against several major travel booking platforms and providers. Awareness of common hidden fees and the sites facing scrutiny helps travelers budget more accurately.
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1. Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) like Expedia, Booking.com
Major OTAs, including platforms under the Expedia Group (Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity, Orbitz) and Booking Holdings (Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, Kayak), have faced investigations, particularly in Europe (by the UK’s CMA) and scrutiny elsewhere. Concerns often relate to pressure selling tactics (“Only 2 rooms left!”), misleading discount claims (comparing sale prices to inflated “standard” rates), the impact of commission rates on hotel search rankings, and a lack of clarity around mandatory resort fees or taxes until late in the booking process.
2. Hotel Chains (Direct Booking Fees – e.g., Hilton, Marriott)
Even when booking directly, major hotel chains themselves have faced lawsuits and regulatory attention over mandatory “resort fees” or “destination fees.” These fees, often charged per night on top of the quoted room rate, ostensibly cover amenities like Wi-Fi, pool access, or gym use, but critics argue they are just disguised room rate increases not included in initial price displays. Lawsuits, like those filed against Hilton and Marriott by state attorneys general or consumer groups, allege this practice is deceptive drip pricing.
3. Ticket Platforms (Event & Activity Bookers – e.g., Peek Travel)
Platforms selling tickets for tours, activities, and attractions have also come under fire. Recent class action lawsuits, for example, against Peek Travel Inc. (which powers booking for many venues), allege violations of laws requiring all-in pricing. These suits claim platforms often fail to disclose the total cost, including various ambiguous “taxes and fees,” until the final checkout stage, preventing consumers from easily comparing all-in prices upfront as legally required in some jurisdictions like New York.
4. Budget Airlines (Ancillary Fees)
While not always “hidden,” the fee structure of budget airlines (like Spirit, Frontier, Ryanair) relies heavily on ancillary charges added onto a low base fare. Fees for carry-on bags, checked bags, seat selection (even for families to sit together), printing boarding passes, and onboard refreshments can quickly inflate the total cost significantly. Lack of upfront transparency or “bundling” of these fees during the initial fare display has led to consumer complaints and regulatory pushes for clearer all-in pricing disclosure from airlines globally.
5. Vacation Rental Platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo – Cleaning & Service Fees)
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Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo connect travelers with homeowners, but calculating the true final cost can be complex. Beyond the nightly rate, substantial mandatory fees – including hefty cleaning fees (regardless of stay length), platform service fees (charged to the guest), and sometimes local taxes – are typically only revealed on the final booking confirmation page. This makes direct comparison between properties or with hotel rates difficult until the very end of the process, drawing criticism for a lack of upfront clarity.
6. Car Rental Companies (Fees and Surcharges)
Booking rental cars online can also involve navigating numerous potential extra fees beyond the daily rate quoted initially. Common add-ons or potentially unclear charges include airport concession recovery fees, vehicle licensing fees, energy surcharges, additional driver fees, underage driver fees, insurance options (which may duplicate existing coverage), and expensive fuel pre-payment plans. Understanding which fees are mandatory versus optional requires careful reading of the terms during booking.
Demand Upfront Pricing and Read Carefully
Hidden fees and drip pricing remain persistent issues across the online travel booking landscape, making comparison shopping difficult and frustrating consumers who feel misled by initial low-price advertisements. Regulatory bodies and consumer lawsuits are increasingly pressuring airlines, hotels, OTAs, and other platforms to adopt more transparent, all-in pricing practices from the start of the booking process. Until then, travelers must remain vigilant: read the fine print carefully, proceed through multiple booking steps to see the final price including all mandatory fees and taxes, and compare total costs, not just headline rates, before confirming any travel reservations online.
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