Ancillaries / Ancillary fees

Optional paid add-ons to a ticket: baggage, seat selection, meals, priority boarding and similar. These are billed separately from the base fare and can add significantly to the total cost of a trip, particularly with low-cost carriers. Tracking ancillary spend separately helps companies see the true cost of travel, not just headline ticket prices.

The range of ancillaries has grown considerably. Beyond checked baggage and seat selection, airlines sell extra legroom seats, priority boarding, lounge access, onboard Wi-Fi, meals, fast-track security and change or cancellation options. Many airlines also package these services into fare families, so a higher fare may include baggage and seat selection while the basic fare does not. For airlines, ancillaries have become a significant and growing source of revenue. Prices for the same extra can also vary by route and booking channel.

For companies, the key is to decide which ancillaries are justified and to make those rules clear. A policy might allow checked baggage for trips longer than a few days, seat selection on long-haul flights or lounge access for long connections, while excluding optional upgrades. Purchasing extras at the time of booking is usually cheaper than buying them at the airport, and recording them separately in reports shows their real share of travel spend.

In Tumodo, travellers can select a seat when choosing a fare, after booking or after the ticket is issued; the system generates an EMD automatically, and seats can also be paid for with miles. The travel policy can allow or prohibit seat selection, block paid seats and define whether fares with baggage are permitted. Airport services such as VIP lounges, Fast Track and Meet & Assist can be booked online, with their own policy rules.