Rossen Reports: How to spot hidden travel fees before you book

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Whether you’re trying to budget for one last vacation or if you’re planning to travel for the upcoming holiday, there’s one thing you might not be ready for: Hidden travel fees.

There are fees that could get tacked on that you’re not even noticing. Let’s take you through some hidden travel fees and how to beat them.

When you book your flight, watch out for seat selection fees. According to consulting company IdeaWorksCompany, U.S. airlines collected $4.2 billion from assigned seat revenue last year alone. Seat selection fees let you reserve a seat in your class or section. Your ticket comes with a confirmed seat but in some cases, if you want to choose which one (like a window or emergency exit), it can add $100 to your ticket cost.

How to beat it: Skip the selection step. Don’t feel pressure to book a specific seat, if the cost outweighs where you sit. If you want to make sure you’re sitting with someone you’re going on the trip with, book your tickets together. If the airline is assigning seats for you, it typically seats people under the same record locator number together. Also, on the day of departure, get to the airport early. Head to the help desk and ask for the pick of unassigned seats.

There are also other fees that you might not see coming. For some low-cost carriers, if you book your reservation on the phone with an agent or you want the ticket agent to print your boarding pass, there could be fees.

How to beat it: As you book, read the fine print. If you can switch to booking online, do it. And make sure you’re printing your boarding pass at home or using their app and using the mobile boarding pass.

From upgrades to insurance, rental car companies will charge you a ton of little fees here and there.

How to beat it: When you get to the counter, the rental car company might offer a larger car that has more room or is newer. You know, that’s code for an upgrade, which means you’ll be paying more. While they may give you a number, it might not be upfront if that new number is the total, the total each day or an added charge. Make sure you’re clear on what they’re offering. When it comes to added insurance fees, this extra charge can be avoided by looking into your personal auto insurance or the credit card you use to pay for the rental. You might already have rental car insurance coverage.

There are resort fees, amenities fees, destination fees, etc. Even if you think you’re booking a regular hotel, there may be an extra charge with one of those names on it. It’s how they can pay for extra amenities, like pools and gyms, but still look like they have cheaper prices. Studies show the average resort fee is about 11% of just one night’s stay.

How to beat it: When booking, look at the little sentence underneath the rate. It could say something like “Excludes 30 USD Amenity Fee per night.” It will be small, but that’s a red flag that more fees are getting tacked on at checkout. There’s also a website called ResortFeeChecker.com. It will let you search for a hotel in any city and it will let you know if there are extra fees tacked on at checkout. Just make sure you double-check when you’re booking.

Hotels also add on fees at the end if you arrive early or decide to leave later. Early check-in and late check-out fees can cost you big. Be sure to ask the front desk about their policy first. They might be willing to waive the fee if you ask politely.