$18 for a blanket, $250 for an 'empty' seat: are airlines getting too greedy?
Why Qantas and others are slugging you with surprise fees.
Would you pay $18 for a blanket on a freezing flight?
That's the question I and dozens of other passengers found themselves asking on a recent Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Seattle.
The economy cabin was unbearably cold and when passengers asked the crew for blankets, they were shocked to find out blankets were only available "for purchase".
"We don't provide blankets," said one of the air hostesses to me, with a smile as broad as the artificial white flower tucked in her hair. "But you can buy a blanket for $11.50," she added.
That's US dollars, by the way. So by the time I converted it to the currently tanking Aussie dollar, I was looking at spending about $18 for the simple privilege of not having to freeze myself on an almost six-hour-long flight.
"But I don't want to 'buy' a blanket, I just want to use it now. What will I do with it after the flight?" I made my case.
"It's a nice Hawaiian memento to take home," the air hostess made hers.
"But I don't need a memento, I didn't even spend any time in Hawaii; I only stopped over for a couple of hours on my way from Sydney," I tried to reason.
None of that helped, of course. The staff wasn't budging. And, in the end, no blankets were bought or handed out - not at least to my knowledge.
Full-service airlines started skimping on free inclusions and perks a long time ago.
First, they got rid of free upgrades.
Then, they severely cut back on the meals. Lucious three-course affairs comprising bread rolls, a salad, a hot main and a dessert were largely reduced to a sandwich - and in some dire cases, dry muffins.
The last nail in the "cabin" was when many full-service airlines started charging for preferred seats in economy - from those at the front to seats with extra leg room next to the emergency exits. Exorbitant prices, in some instances.
But asking for $18 for a blanket on a freezing six-hour flight - in my humble opinion - is highway robbery.
Hawaiian Airlines, however, is not the only reputable carrier resorting to such measures to make some extra cash.
Our national carrier is at it, too.
A couple I know were recently flying with Qantas from Sydney to LA on a fairly empty flight. They had carefully picked a window and an aisle seat in an empty row towards the back of the plane, and were confident the middle seat between them would remain empty, giving them some extra space for free - a common hack travellers use.
But is there any such thing as a "free lunch" on an airline anymore?
When the couple reached the Qantas check-in counter at the airport, they were asked a simple question: "Would you like to pay a fee of $250 for a guaranteed free middle seat between you?"
As if airlines charging extra for seats you could actually sit on wasn't bad enough, now they've started charging for empty seats, too.
And it's not just the economy-class customers who are being put through the wringer.
Some of the world's top airlines are doing this to travellers in the premium end of the planes, too.
Carriers like Air France, KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss and Delta are known to charge customers booking the lowest-grade premium economy or business class fares an additional fee to pick a seat.
Imagine paying $3251 for a business class seat on a British Airways flight from Sydney to Singapore and then having to pay $150 for your preferred aisle seat. Because that's what it's coming to on the official British Airways website for this flight and cabin on August 7 at press time.
I would rather take my chances with Scoot, which offers a free selection of "wide premium leather seats" with up to 17 centimetres more legroom in ScootPlus cabin on the same route and date for about $1189.
At least with Scoot, you know what to expect.
Akash is the Deputy Travel Editor for Australian Community Media. He has lived and worked in four cities around the world – Sydney, London, New Delhi and New York – and, at last count, travelled to 42 countries.
My all-time favourite destination is ... New York. You can drop a pin anywhere in Manhattan and start walking in any direction, and the sights and sounds of the city that never stops will begin to stimulate all your senses in an instant.
Next on my bucket list is … Scandinavia - at the peak of summer, when the sun almost never sets.
My top travel tip is … If you’re flying to Sydney from anywhere in the world, pick a window seat far from the wing on the left-hand-side of the aeroplane. If the weather gods and flight path align, you’ll have the most incredible views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House.
Travel's Top Picks
Travel's Most Viewed
The ingenious 'double-dip' trick Aussies are using to guarantee their Europe flights
My first motorhome holiday - what I did right and what every beginner should know
Qatar Airways named world's best airline for 2026: see the full rankings
Is the era of the Middle Eastern stopover over?
A new business class to Asia delivers wow-factor comfort without the high cost
