The Next MySpace

Whether you call the practice à la carte pricing or nickel-and-diming passengers, the fees most airlines now charge for everything from food and drinks to checked bags aren't going away. With far fewer people flying because of the economy—especially business travelers—many carriers are counting on this revenue more than ever. "The airlines are doing it because they can't raise fares," says Michael Boyd, president of aviation consulting firm Boyd Group International. And the companies have found that add-ons can be very profitable. In fact, à la carte pricing has become so successful that analysts are predicting airlines may soon institute the even more nitpicky menu-pricing structure that's been helping Air Canada survive since 2004. For all of its flights, Air Canada offers four fare options, each with a different set of extras, such as a free checked bag or an on-board food voucher. Customers can then add or subtract other services—forgo frequent-flier miles and save $3, for instance, or pay $30 to access the airline's lounges. For now, most carriers in the U.S. simply say they are sticking with the à la carte approach and considering tacking on more fees in the year to come. So what does this mean for passengers? THE DOWNSIDES It's harder to compare prices Because fees vary from airline to airline—and only a few companies, notably Southwest, still subscribe to the old-fashioned, all-inclusive approach—it takes a lot of work to figure out the total cost of a trip on different carriers. And if every airline adopts an intricate menu of pricing options, that chore is only going to get more complicated. Travel booking and aggregator sites like Travelocity and Kayak are developing ways to display ticket prices that highlight extra charges, but the technology isn't expected to be ready until the end of 2009. For now, you're on your own to do the math. One resource can help: the free, up-to-the-minute guide to airline fees published on the blog SmarterTravel.com. The gap between advertised fares and actual prices is widening Nobody likes it when airlines promote tantalizingly low sale fares and then bury extras like taxes and security fees in the fine print. To keep consumers from being duped further, the Department of Transportation last May issued a directive requiring airline and travel-booking sites to disclose the possibility of additional baggage charges in ads and fare quotes. Ads must also state when there are fees to book a ticket by phone. But there is one big caveat: Airline and booking sites aren't required to include those surcharges in the total price, so what you end up paying may not be anywhere near what you were quoted. Air service could deteriorate, especially for budget travelers European carrier Ryanair has taken à la carte pricing to the extreme, charging customers a per-minute fee to speak to a company representative on the phone—even if you're a ticket holder calling to report a problem. While that practice would probably never fly in the U.S., analysts say the pay-as-you-go pricing structure could allow carriers to treat higher-paying passengers better than their penny-pinching seatmates. For example, a person who goes whole hog and buys an in-flight meal, a headset, and a pillow and blanket stands to get more attention and potentially better service from the cabin crew. This has always been the case in first class, but it's new to economy. "There isn't a business out there that doesn't take steps to keep its best customers happy," says Tim Smith, an American Airlines spokesman. THE UPSIDES Some people will save money by forgoing all the extras If you book online, don't check a bag, and skip the meal, you're probably paying less than if the airlines had simply jacked up ticket prices. And according to a poll conducted last fall by Amadeus North America, a travel technology company, people are becoming more comfortable with à la carte pricing for that reason. Fifty-three percent of respondents said they'd prefer to buy the lowest-priced option and then add services; only 18 percent would rather shell out for a higher-priced all-inclusive fare. There may be more one-way tickets and deals on upgrades When Air Canada implemented its new pricing structure, it also eliminated many travel restrictions that passengers hated, such as requiring a Saturday-night stay and a round-trip ticket to get the lowest fare. Air Canada now breaks down round-trip flights as separate one-way tickets on its website, showing you exactly what you pay for each leg. While U.S. low-fare airlines such as AirTran and JetBlue also sell tickets this way, most major carriers do not. The advantage for passengers if this policy catches on: the ability to shop around for the best price for each leg of a trip—even on different airlines. Carriers like AirTran and US Airways are also experimenting with selling last-minute deals on upgrades, a practice likely to become more commonplace. For instance, AirTran offers passengers at check-in, at the gate, or on the plane the option of upgrading from coach to business class for $49 to $99 per flight. Often times, that's cheaper than what it costs to buy a business-class ticket in advance. This means that travelers can decide not only which extras they want to purchase, but also when to buy them. So the next time you fly, take your time figuring out if you want to splurge on six extra inches of legroom—a $5 movie might instead do the trick.

Want an Upgrade? Enter here. Using our powers for the good of the people A year after the birth of her second child, Sugar Carroll felt it was high time for her and her husband, Bob, to get out of their hometown of Anchorage and have a parents-only getaway. So Sugar, a full-time mom, started secretly planning a trip to Maui, Hawaii. She squirreled away cash for months, signed on her mother to babysit the kids, and even managed to schedule time off for Bob directly with his boss. Since Sugar had arranged to stay with a cousin on the island, we set them up for a night at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa, where they had a champagne breakfast and a lavender couple's massage. We also sent Bob and Sugar to the source of that lavender, the 10-acre Ali'i Kula farm. There, they had a tour with the owner, made aromatic wreaths, and ate a lunch of lavender-infused chicken and lavender brownies. "We were in the mountains surrounded by clouds," says Sugar. "I kept expecting a unicorn to appear." Best of all, Bob had no idea he was going to Maui until minutes before the plane took off: "I've seen surprises like this on TV," he says, "but I never thought one would happen to me!" Many thanks to... Westin Maui Resort & Spa on Kaanapali Beach (westinmaui.com) and the Ali'i Kula Lavender farm, which offers daily tours and picnic lunches (aliikulalavender.com). For an island travel guidebook, contact the Maui Visitors Bureau (visitmaui.com).

"I Just Had to Have It!" "I don't usually bring home trinkets from my travels, but I fell in love with this carved stone elephant at a market in Chennai," says Laura. "If you look closely, you can see that there's another smaller elephant on the inside." Rock on "Everything surprised and thrilled me," Laura says. "This temple in Mamallapuram, now in ruins, was built atop a huge boulder." Body beauty At a crafts center just outside Chennai, Laura had a peacock design painted with henna on her hand. The pattern stayed on for a full two weeks. Standing by the bay "I came across a statue of Gandhi on the Bay of Bengal, in Pondicherry," Laura says. "The town was so neatly laid out and not at all crowded. It actually looked like France." A better welcome This woman is demonstrating rangoli, Indian sandpainting using fine powder. The designs adorn the doorsteps of houses and temples. Fresh start South India is full of shrines to Ganesha, the Hindu deity with the head of an elephant. He's known as the Lord of Beginnings. Wedding belles Nuptial celebrations in India are famously big. Laura had the chance to experience one thanks to her friend Edel and Edel's sister, Princy. "Princy knows the groom's brother," Laura explains. "And he told her to invite anyone. There were hundreds of people." Laura ordered her custom silk salwar kameez from a department store just a few days before the wedding. "We picked it up on the way there!" she says. Pay to play "It cost me fifty cents to be able to bring my camera into Kapaleeswarar Temple," Laura says. "I couldn't stop snapping pictures. The color and the detail work are absolutely stunning."

Interested in getting coached? E-mail us your questions—seriously, the more the better—to Letters@BudgetTravel.com. DEAR TRIP COACH... After years of saving my miles, I've finally booked a trip to visit a friend in Chennai [formerly Madras], South India. Although I'll stay with my friend, I'll be traveling alone most of the time. And, of course, the terrorist attacks in Mumbai are on my mind. Any advice? Laura McFarland, Rocky Mount, N.C. FIRE AWAY! What should I know about staying safe in India? November's events notwithstanding, India is generally very safe. Many Western women travel alone and encounter few problems. Occasionally you hear stories of an opportunist attempting a grope on a crowded bus, but that's rare. Follow the same precautions you would in any tourist destination, but be at ease and open to people. Indians tend to be extroverts and very inquisitive, so travelers of both sexes should expect lots of friendly conversation. How should I dress to avoid bringing unwanted attention to myself? Leave the short, tight getups at home and you'll be fine. You'll see local women in everything from embroidered saris to T-shirts and knee-length skirts or shorts. Chennai is right on the coast. What do women wear at the beach? Indian women splash around fully dressed in whatever they happen to be wearing. However, it's completely acceptable for foreign women to wear swimsuits, even bikinis, especially at beaches that are popular with tourists. Chennai's main stretch of sand, Marina Beach, is pretty, but it gets crowded. For miles of uninterrupted white sand, take a two-hour bus ride down the coast to the town of Mamallapuram (buses leave throughout the day from Chennai's Koyambedu bus stop and Guindy railway station, round trip from 50¢). While you're there, check out the famous Shore Temple, built in the 7th and 8th centuries right on the beach ($5). The ocean currents in south India are dangerously strong, so it's illegal to swim. Instead, people go to the beach to sunbathe and wade. One of my biggest concerns is what to do about money in India. Should I take traveler's checks, cash, or credit cards—or should I use an ATM? ATMs are now commonplace in all but India's most rural locations, so just take a stash of cash to get yourself started, and use your ATM card for the rest of the trip. Credit cards aren't accepted in most places; unless you plan to buy some high-end items or stay at a plush hotel, chances are you won't have much occasion to rack up a bill. I plan to do some shopping and my guidebooks say to haggle, but I've never done that. How do I go about it? First and foremost, act confident—even if you're not. If you look green, shopkeepers will hit you with exorbitant prices. Let the vendor quote you a number, and then come back with a counteroffer between a quarter and a half of that. If you're nearing an agreement but the seller is asking a bit more than you want to pay, state your final offer and start walking away. More often than not, that'll clinch the deal. I've been to several countries with extremely scary bathrooms. What should I expect to find in India? While not up to our sparkling standards, most bathrooms you'll come across will be sufficiently maintained and have the Western-style toilets, toilet paper, and sinks you're used to. In some lower-end hotels and restaurants, you may encounter one of the infamous Asian thrones (no seat, just a hole and two platforms for your feet), but these are blessedly on the way out. What is there to see in Chennai? There are three major sites that should be at the top of your list. Kapaleeswarar Temple, in Chennai's Mylapore neighborhood, is a stunning complex of intricately carved gateways, vast courtyards, and shrines (Kutchery Rd., mylaikapaleeswarar.com, free). There are four official poojas, or worship times, in the main temple each day, and priests at the smaller shrines lead services on request. You don't have to be Hindu to take part; poojas are open to everyone. Nearby, you have to behold the towering, bright-white Santhome Cathedral Basilica, a Gothic structure built in the 19th century over the tomb of St. Thomas—walk around to the back of the courtyard and go through the underground passage to see the crypt (Santhome High Rd., santhomebasilica.com, free). The Vivekananda Museum, behind Marina Beach, gives a gripping account of the life of the Hindu sage Swami Vivekananda, a 19th-century spiritual leader known for introducing Hindu philosophy and yoga to the West (Kamarajar Salai, S. Beach Rd., free). People keep telling me I'll get sick during the trip. Is this because of bad hygiene or exposure to new foods? Is there any way to avoid it? Stomach upsets abroad are most often due to bacteria in the ecosystem that are different from what we encounter at home. Contaminated food is less often to blame. Some doctors believe that pro-biotic dietary supplements, such as yogurt, can help ward off turista, so ask your internist for advice. That said, don't be afraid to try new foods while you're in India. People often make the mistake of assuming it's safer to eat at ultraclean-looking restaurants than to buy food from a street vendor. The truth is, while the restaurant might seem spotless, you can't see the state of the kitchen. But if you pass a guy making fresh samosas in a clean boiling vat on the sidewalk, you can confidently join the line at his stand. Just-cooked hot meals are your safest bets. I've only had one Indian meal in my life, but I'm excited to experiment. What specialties would you recommend in Chennai and the surrounding area? South India is famous for vegetarian buffets known as "meals," which are usually served in no-frills restaurants (just look for the MEALS READY sign in the window). Grab a seat, and a waiter will dole out rice, roti (bread), pappadams (huge wafer crisps), dhal (stew made with lentils), various curries, pickles, chutney, curd (something like cottage cheese), and salad. Meals are often served on a banana leaf; you mix the various dishes together and eat everything with your hands, using the roti as a utensil. The entire feast generally costs about $1. You'll pay about half that for the perfect fast food, masala dosa, a large crispy pancake that comes with a vegetable stuffing and sides of sambar (stewed tomatoes and lentils) and coconut chutney. Chennai-based chain Hotel Saravana Bhavan is a local favorite for its meals and dosa (011-91/44-2371-2577, saravanabhavan.com, meals from 50¢). Go to Kalyan Bhavan Biryani for the best biryani, a rice stew served with chicken, lamb, or vegetables (424 Pantheon Rd., biryani from 50¢). Fish, such as pomfret and kingfish, are also a south Indian specialty. Dakshin, in the ITC Hotel Park Sheraton & Towers, makes some of the best coconut fish curry around (TTK Rd., 011-91/44-2499-4101, entrées from $5.50). I'm thinking of taking a day trip or two to the state of Tamil Nadu. What towns do you recommend? Eighty-five miles from Chennai is Pondicherry, a former French colony with a Gallic influence in its architecture and cooking. In Thanjavur, about 190 miles southwest of Chennai, don't miss the Brihadishwara Temple, a standout example of Chola-period architecture, with dancing figures carved into its façade and a tower that's more than 200 feet tall. To the west of Chennai, the town of Kanchipuram has at least five major Hindu temples; it's also known for its bright silk saris and scarves woven with silver and gold threads. Finally, check out the village of Kanadukathan, in Chettinad, a region celebrated for its spicy fare made with whole red chilies, star anise, tamarind, cinnamon, and cloves. In the early 1900s, the area was settled by wealthy traders, many of whom built enormous mansions that are still standing. One of these, Chettinadu Mansion, has been converted into a hotel, so you can get an up-close look at how the glamorous life was once lived in these parts (TKR St., 011-91/45-6527-3080, from $85).