Flybe is not the only airline to have a booking system which many people find confusing. Ryanair have also received a lot of criticism for the way their website and pricing system works. They were kind enough to respond to some of my questions recently. You can read their responses here: Question to Ryanair.
See also: Which is the Best Budget Airline?
Flybe Bookings- What You Should Know
When booking a Flybe flight to Spain, be careful of the following:- As with Ryanair, the first price you see with Flybe (that is, the 'advertised price') omits the fees and taxes. Instead you have to select an item to get the full price. This goes against British advertising laws on prices including all non-optional costs being included in the basic price.
- Flybe automatically adds baggage to your basket. This is against EU laws, which state extras must be 'opt in' not 'opt out'.
- Flybe pre-selects a seat for you, which costs 8 euros, and do not explain that this fee is optional. You have to de-select the seat and hope for the best as the site never explains that booking a seat is option.
- Flybe pre-selects a more expensive 'pay in your own currency' option that you must deselect in order to pay at the price and in the currency you had been seeing throughout the booking process.
- Flybe's hand luggage allowance is smaller than other budget airlines (their allowance is 50cm x 35cm x 23cm, while most other airlines allow 55cm x 40cm x 20cm) which means that a bag you have been allowed as hand luggage on another airline may need to be checked into the hold with Flybe, thus incurring extra check-in costs and potentially excess luggage fees too.
The last four of these nearly added 75% to the price of my flight - and I came very close to paying the seat charge as there is no way of knowing that it is optional. Take your time when booking with Flybe to ensure you get the best price.
