Today’s consumers might be reminded of inflight turbulence when contemplating the fees they might be asked to pay in the future for assigned seats, checked baggage, and paying by credit card. Most airlines currently don’t charge extra for these benefits. But survey results by IdeaWorks suggest airline executives will charge for these, and other services, in the future. While frequent travelers may consider extra fees a major annoyance, airline executives call these fees ancillary revenue.

How far has this practice spread among airlines? What new fees are airline executives planning for the future? To answer these questions, IdeaWorks surveyed airline executives all over the globe. Here is a sampling of observations from the analysis:

• 63% of airline executives predict unbundling (charging for amenities) is becoming more prevalent.



• 39% indicate their airlines now sell meals and sandwiches on board aircraft.



• 80% indicate fees are currently charged for call center bookings or are anticipated to be charged in the future.

Buckle Your Seat Belts - Airline Executives Predict More Fees and Plan to Sell More Services via Their Web Sites was released as a 8-page Industry Analysis.

Click here to view the report.