Transpant costs or hidden costs...

...that's the question...

Especially when it comes to two industries:

• Retail Banking
• Low Cost Airlines

People often go on about Free Banking and this time last year people were worrying about whether there would ever be an "end of free banking" - but did this really exist in the first place? Banks may not charge to simply be an accuont holder, but with higher interest rates and charges for withdrawing cash, going into your overdraft etc. I personally think it's fair to say, nothing in this life is "free" - especially when it comes to banking.

On a lighter but yet more annoying note, low-cost airlines - especially certain Irish owned, micky taking airlines, which shall not be names, famous for 1p flights.

Now don't get me wrong. I completely understand the merits of advertising flights for an amazing 1p. What gets my billy is the hidden charges for thinkgs like having luggage, airport check-in, inhaling more than 6 times in a minue...that sort of thing.


I personally would much prefer to have all the charges up front when I'm booking a quick flight to Barcelona, rather than having to sit there with three airline websites up, who all charge different amounts for different things and having to create some kind of bumbling formula to discover which one will actually end up saving me money.

Something like:

(flight + tax) x (insurance/food to buy) = ACTUAL COST
________
stupid bits

Maths was never my favourite subjest at school, and I would much prefer to have it there in fron of me: £75 to Barcelona, all included. No problems, no hassle, no fuss!

Now that sounds like a deal to me.

Cheers,

Paul