Airlines add fees to raise revenue By Marilyn Adams, USA TODAY Low fares, long lines and body searches aren't the only hallmarks of air=20 travel this summer. Travelers also face an array of new or higher charges.= =20 Need a paper ticket? That'll cost you, because paper tickets cost airlines= =20 more than electronic ones. This week, American doubled its paper-ticket=20 charge to $20. Most charge $10. United has no charge. Packing golf clubs?=20 Checking a third piece of luggage now costs $80 on American, Northwest and= =20 Continental, $75 on United, $50 on Alaska. Delta allows a third bag free if= =20 there's no carry-on. Want a travel agent's help? That'll be $40 and up per= =20 ticket. Most airlines have quit paying agent commissions to cut costs.=20 "These are hidden price increases," says Jim Parker, analyst at Raymond=20 James Financial. It adds up to $150 a month for Suzanne Caplan, a frequent flier and author.= =20 "I think a business traveler has to have a travel agent," says Caplan, who= =20 flew 125,000 miles last year. "The problem is paying a $40 commission on a= =20 $150 ticket." She now pays her agent a $150 monthly retainer. Airlines have lost billions since Sept. 11, and passenger volume is still=20 off 11% from a year ago. Several attempts to raise prices have failed=20 because of resistance from some airlines. After cutting schedules, parking= =20 planes and laying off workers, airlines are still seeking ways to boost=20 revenue or trim costs. Even profitable Southwest Airlines last month began= =20 consistently requiring that large passengers pay extra if they need two=20 seats =97 a move that could squeeze more revenue out of some flights. Other= =20 major carriers have similar rules. Some new fees strike passengers as=20 nickel-and-diming. Continental this week started charging $4 for beer, wine= =20 or a cocktail on trans-Atlantic flights, where drinks used to be free. "The= =20 rest of our system already has a $4 charge," says Continental spokesman=20 Dave Messing. "About a third of trans-Atlantic passengers have alcoholic=20 beverages. This policy now places the charge on folks who choose to drink." The near-absence of food on domestic flights is one of travelers' biggest=20 gripes. Fliers have to skip meals, bring something from home or stand in=20 line for usually ho-hum airport food at heart-stopping prices. USA TODAY=20 Road Warrior Jerry Galiger, a North Carolina-based sales manager who's=20 flown nearly 30 years, offer this advice: When in an airport, eat where you= =20 see "plenty of uniforms" =97 pilots and flight attendants, who know where=20 better restaurants are. Contributing: Alison Maxwell The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site: Roj (Roger James) *************************************************** escape email mailto:ejames@escape.ca Trinbago site: http://www.tntisland.com CBC Website http://www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ The Trinbago Site of the Week: (Solo) http://www.solobev.com/ (Solo Beverages) courtesy of Roj Trinbago Website & TnT Web Directory Roj's Trinbago Website: http://www.tntisland.com TnT Web Directory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************