Bargain deals often swallowed up by the fine print

Expedia’s recent move to drop its fees for changing or canceling reservations was welcome news in light of the general trend toward boosting travel charges for everything from checking a bag to parking in a hotel garage.

Cutting fees is one way to generate business. For the most part, however, airlines, hotels and other travel providers find it easier to boost revenues by slipping in surcharges and hoping no one will notice.

Anyone’s who’s booked a flight or received an e-mail for a hotel deal that sounds too good to be true knows that taxes and extra fees can redefine the meaning of the words “total price.”

I was reminded of this when I found a $130 Internet package for the Red Rock Casino and Resort in Las Vegas. The price included a double room, two buffet dinners and two movie tickets.

A click-through to the reservations page showed an extra charge of $11.70 for taxes, for a total of $141.70. But two asterisks behind that figure noted that it didn’t include a resort-amenity fee. Add another $24.99 for a new total of $168.93 (including tax on the $24.99).

Buried in the fine print was a notice that a 20 percent gratuity would be added for certain items. A phone call revealed this applied to the two buffet dinners. At $18.99 for each dinner, that was an extra $7.58, for a bottom-line price of $176.50.

A PricewaterhouseCoopers study showed hotels charging nearly $2 billion in fees and surcharges in 2007, up from $1.6 billion in 2006.

Much is being made these days of a trend toward eliminating “hidden charges.” Unfortunately, this seems to apply mostly toward removing the “hidden” part rather than getting rid of the actual charges.

Airline fees: Everyone’s familiar by now with new fees for checking bags, but a few airlines are going further. United and US Airways tack on an extra $5 for those who pay the baggage fee at the airport instead of online.

Resort fees: These can add an extra $20 to $30 per night for “services” ranging for delivery of the daily paper to use of the fitness center. Resort fees can be avoided in most cases by making a decision to stay elsewhere.

This gets tricky when booking on Priceline, the Web site that lets you bid for hotels at certain star levels, but doesn’t reveal the name of the hotel until your bid has been accepted. Priceline now warns customers that they may have to pay an extra resort fee, depending on the hotel that accepts their bid.

Parking: Downtown hotels charge as much as $25-$40 a night, plus taxes. Consider using taxis or public transportation. All-day garages and lots are other options, but they usually don’t come with in-and-out privileges.

Pool fees: A pool is one of the perks for which you don’t expect to pay extra in a luxury hotel. It’s good news then that the new Hyatt at Olive 8 in downtown Seattle recently dropped an $18-per-night fee for using its pool.

Wi-Fi/Internet charges: Usually included in the resort fee; otherwise as much as $15 per day for in-room access. Try the hotel lobby, where it might be free, or a nearby coffee shop.

Cancellation fees: Rather than continue adding its own cancellation/change fees, Expedia now defers to individual hotel policies. Most hotels require 24 hours notice to cancel without penalty, but some demand as much as three days notice or prepayment for the lowest-priced rooms.

General rule of thumb: The more exclusive the hotel or resort, the higher the fees and add-on charges. If you don’t like what you find, look around for a better value.

My vote so far this year goes to the Embassy Suites on the Northern Kentucky side of the Cincinnati riverfront.

A $50 bid on Priceline last spring landed me a suite with a view of the Ohio River, a buffet breakfast, free Wi-Fi, newspaper, use of the pool and free gin and tonics in the lobby during the manager’s happy hour.

I offered to pay for drinks for my mother and sister who came to meet me, but the bartender invited them to join in at no extra charge.