Consumer

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ― Remember when flying felt like a luxury? Now it just seems like that to your wallet. Whether you're checking a bag or choosing a seat, chances are you're paying the price. Heck, even a sip of soda costs you these days.

Twin Cities-based Sun Country is one of the few airlines that has yet to tack on many fees. We asked Wendy Williams-Blackshaw of Sun Country why airlines don't just charge people more for a ticket.

"Fares don't rise as quickly as fuel does. The fact is when people go online to book, if one airline is one dollar above, they will always choose the cheaper airline. So airlines do as much as they can to avoid raising fares," said Williams-Blackshaw.

George Hobica created Airfarewatchdog.com -- a place that highlights unadvertised airfares. Hobica says avoiding those fees is much harder simply because of where we live.

"If you have a lot of luggage, an airfare on a more expensive airline might be the best deal," said Hobica. "There's not much you can do unfortunately from Minneapolis because we don't have Southwest here. And JetBlue has lower fares."

So we compared the fees for airlines that fly out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International.

The first trick: be aware of the booking fees. Most people right now book tickets online. To avoid fees, book through the airline Web sites directly. Book a ticket through the airlines over the phone and pay $25 on Delta, Frontier and United. Travel sites like Expedia and Orbitz also charge fees for using their sites.

Drinks & Food

Quenching your thirst is increasingly costly too. If you fly out of MSP, US Airways will charge you the most for drinks -- $2 for soda, even water.

And forget food. Most airlines charge anywhere between $2 and $5 for a snack. For years, Sun Country has provided free burgers to all passengers. This summer the airline will make a change, substituting a bigger turkey and Swiss sandwich. Williams-Blackshaw says the change is the result of requests by consumers wanting a healthier choice.

So how can Sun Country afford to keep feeding passengers?

"It was something we absolutely looked at," admits Williams-Blackshaw. "But one of those things that it's so much a part of the whole Sun Country brand that at this point and time we didn't want to cancel that out."

The airline executives admit they are watching the fees other airlines charge closely and may eventually have to follow suit.

Bags

There are a few airlines that still won't charge you for your first checked bag. Those include Sun Country, Continental and Delta.

You'll pay $15 on American, US Airways and United. Northwest Airlines starts charging $15 in a few weeks. All airlines charge for a second bag.

But you'll pay the most on Delta. It currently doesn't charge for the first bag, but check in two and pay $50, double any other airline.

Frequent Fliers

Even frequent fliers are being hit when they book a ticket. US Airways charges an extra $25 to $40 depending on your status. Delta won't charge if you book at least three weeks in advance but wait and you could pay $75 extra depending on your destination. Starting Sept. 15, Northwest Airlines is adding a fuel surcharge of between $25 and $100 to WorldPerks tickets.

Becoming a preferred flier can help you avoid some of the fees. For example, Delta won't charge Platinum Medallion members who want to cash in their award miles. But to earn that status you have to fly 75,000 miles in a calendar year.

Flying is clearly not what it used to be, but Hobica says there is something to look forward to this fall.

"We're entering into the low traffic period for the airlines. So from Sept. 3, after Labor Day and until Dec. 16 we're going to see sales and we're going to see some good prices. So this is a good time to travel," he said.

Check Out All Airline Fees

As we've seen this summer, airline fees change each week. There are several different sites that frequently update the fees airlines are charging. Here are some of the best:

• Airfare watchdog
• Smarter Travel
• Fare Compare
• Kayak

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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