In recent years, the term “junk fees” has gained traction as a catch-all for the added costs consumers face across industries, from banking to entertainment to travel. Lately, I’ve noticed it applied to airline ancillaries, and frankly, it feels like a mischaracterization. Grouping baggage fees, seat selection charges, or priority boarding under this label, as if they’re predatory or unnecessary, overlooks the real value these services provide. Ancillaries aren’t hidden tricks; they’re about choice, flexibility, and enhancing the travel experience.
At Aggregate Intelligence, part of our work is to help airlines track ancillary offerings across the industry. We analyze and compare the ways airlines deliver value beyond the base fare. And what we see tells a much more nuanced story.
Ancillaries Reflect Choice, Not Deception
The rise of low-cost carriers changed the economics of air travel forever. Today, competition is fierce, and consumers expect to find rock-bottom prices online. Airlines responded by stripping down base fares and shifting optional services to ancillaries. This strategy isn’t about misleading customers; it’s about competing transparently on price while still offering the services travelers value.Labeling this approach as a “junk fee” model ignores the reality of consumer behavior. People want low base fares and the ability to customize. Ancillaries enable both.
Paying for What You Don’t Use? That’s Junk
Ironically, if there were ever “junk” fees in air travel, they existed in the old bundled model—where passengers paid one all-inclusive fare that covered everything from checked bags to meals, whether they used those services or not. Unbundling ancillaries didn’t create extra charges; it exposed them, giving travelers transparency and control. Today, passengers only pay for what they actually want, making the system more personalized and fair—hardly the definition of “junk.”
Innovation Happens in Ancillaries
Far from being static or cynical, the ancillary space is one of the most innovative areas in airline commerce. From dynamic pricing on seat upgrades to bundling offers tailored to a traveler’s preferences or loyalty tier, ancillaries are where airlines experiment, compete, and differentiate.
At Aggregate Intelligence, we see how much effort goes into designing and refining these offerings. Airlines want to add value, not sneak in charges. They want to meet customer needs at every step of the journey, from booking to baggage claim.
Transparency Is the Real Issue
It’s fair to criticize hidden fees. No traveler wants to be surprised by a charge at checkout or at the gate. But that’s a matter of how fees are communicated—not what they are. When disclosed clearly and priced fairly, ancillaries are not junk; they are enhancements.
The solution isn’t to scrap ancillaries—it’s to make them more understandable, more relevant, and more visible. That’s where technology and intelligence platforms come in, helping airlines align their offerings with customer expectations.
Reframing the Conversation
As the debate around “junk fees” continues, it’s important to make a distinction between deceptive pricing practices and legitimate optional services. Ancillary revenue isn’t the enemy, it’s a business model that has enabled broader access to air travel, more competition, and better experiences.
Let’s stop calling them junk. Let’s call them what they are: choices.
Interested in finding out more about Ancillary Revenue? Check out our eBook The Psychology of Buying Behaviors: Why Ancillary Products Work
