25 Airlines With the Lowest Fees

As airlines adapt to a changing market, travelers are spending more and more on fees related to flying. In fact, consumers spent a staggering $36.7 billion in 2015 on optional services, like onboard food and beverages, baggage fees, seat selection and early boarding, according to a recent report from airline ancillary revenues consultant IdeaWorksCompany.

The pay-as-you-go pricing structure means some "low-cost" airlines can quickly become some of the most expensive. But not all airlines expect customers to pay exorbitant fees.

GOBankingRates used published airline fee schedules to find baggage fees for major domestic and international airlines with flights to and from the United States, ranking the best airlines based on total fees for carry-on, first and second checked bag. Find out which airlines have the lowest baggage fees, as well as other fees you might pay.

Passengers flying Air China shouldn't expect to pay much past their initial ticket prices. The airline includes most creature comforts free of extra charges, including meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment.

Those sending an unaccompanied minor on Air China will pay a $40 fee, but two or more unaccompanied minors flying together will be charged the fee only once. Pets aren't allowed in the cabin, but can ride in the baggage area for variable "special baggage" fees.

Emirates Airlines passengers can count on paying for most services in their ticket fare, with meals, drinks — including alcohol but not champagne — and in-flight entertainment included. Even services for unaccompanied minors don't cost extra with the purchase of a full-price adult fare for the tiny traveler.

WiFi data is free up to 10 MB, with 500 MB available for only $1. Those traveling with pets won't be able to carry them in the main cabin, except service dogs. They will have to check the pets not as baggage, but as cargo, and only during certain times of year due to temperatures and pet import rules in the United Arab Emirates.

Regular meal service is included in all economy tickets for U.S.-bound and departing flights on Qatar Airways, as is in-flight entertainment. Unaccompanied minor fees, however, vary depending on the price of the ticket. With the exception of service dogs and falcons, animals aren't allowed in the main cabin and must instead be checked in the baggage hold for $250 to $350, depending on the animal's size.

Meals are included with economy-class tickets to and from the U.S., but the number and type of meals differ depending on the route and flight time. In-flight entertainment is free on Turkish Airlines, but communication with people on the ground will cost you, to the tune of $1.60 per SMS text or email. Fees for unaccompanied minors vary and are included at the time of booking.

With no charges for carry-ons or the first two checked bags, Southwest boasts some of the best baggage prices of the domestic U.S. airlines. However, the airline does charge for other boarding and in-flight comforts, like its $15 early-bird check-in and boarding fee and its $8-per-day WiFi charge.

Unaccompanied minors fly at an added cost of $50 each way, and pets can fly in the cabin for $95 each way. Meals aren't offered, although free snacks — like peanuts or pretzels — and soft drinks are provided.

As with other international airlines, meals are included in the ticket price on long-haul flights, although extra a la carte meals can be purchased for varying prices. Unaccompanied minor fees vary based on the price of an adult ticket, the child's age and the destination. Pets that are small enough to fit under the seat can ride in the cabin for $200 on flights to and from the U.S.

Unaccompanied minors fly on Island Air for an added fee of $30 each way — or $60 each way if there's a connecting flight, with added charges for each child after two. Pets can accompany travelers in the cabin for $35 if they're small enough to fit under the seat, with all other animals flying in cargo for $35 up to 50 pounds and $60 up to 70 pounds. Meals aren't offered on this no-nonsense airline, but coffee, water and sometimes punch are available for free.

In addition to charging fees for all baggage, except a small personal item like a purse, Allegiant charges fees for an impressive array of a la carte services. You might pay anywhere from $0 to $80 to choose your seat ahead of time, $4 to $12 to board the plane before other passengers, $100 to fly with a pet in the cabin and $2 to $7 for a snack during your flight.

Even the act of booking a ticket will cost a fee on Allegiant — $13 per person, per segment for tickets purchased electronically; $14.99 for booking through the call center; $5 to pick up a printed ticket at select airports. They also charge up to $8 each way for paying by credit card.

PenAir is another no-frills airline that skips out on offering meals to passengers. Unaccompanied minors can fly for an extra fee of $75, and pets can fly for $50 in the cabin or $75 in the cargo hold.

You can get a snack, a drink or a meal on WestJet for anywhere from $2, all the way up to $17.25. Pets cost $50 to $59 to fly in the main cabin and $75 to $88.50 to fly as checked baggage, but restrictions based on travel dates, kennel sizes and animal types apply.

Unaccompanied minors are welcome to fly for an added fee of $118. And depending on the seat and time of booking, you can pay from $5 to $236 to choose where you'll sit on the plane.

Virgin America proclaims it's "not a big fan of fees. But they do help us fly you in the award-winning, mood-lit style to which you're accustomed." Which helps explain not only its baggage fees, but several others, including unaccompanied minor fees of $75 to $125; a fee for pets traveling in the main cabin for $100; a $20 fee for booking your ticket through the call center; $20 for receiving a mailed itinerary; $15 to $35 for "dibs" on preferred seats; and $20 for priority security and boarding. Onboard meals and snacks will cost $4 to $9.

Whether in the cabin or in baggage, your pet will cost you $100 when flying on Alaska Airlines. Snacks and hot meals are available for $6 to $8. Unaccompanied minors can fly for $25 to $50, depending on the route and traveler's age.

A variety of snacks and sandwiches are available on this airline for $2 to $8. Flying as an unaccompanied minor will cost a $75 fee, in addition to the ticket price. Pets can fly in the cabin for a $125 fee or as baggage for $199.

Most of JetBlue's fees are small and related to the creature comforts of flying. A headset costs travelers $5; a movie is another $5; blankets and pillows cost $5 to $6; alcoholic beverages are $7; and meals or snacks are $6 to $7.

On this airline, booking anywhere other than online will cost $25. Pets and unaccompanied minors both fly for a $100 fee each way.

For some parts of the U.S., Hawaii could be considered a long-haul flight. Perhaps that's why Hawaiian Airlines bucks the trend of most domestic airlines by offering an array of meals and drinks for free.

But not everything on the way to or from the island state comes without a fee: You'll pay $175 for a pet in the cabin and $225 for a pet as luggage; $100 for an unaccompanied minor; $6 to $12 for various snacks; $6 to $15 for in-flight entertainment and $100 for a lost paper ticket.

Sending an unaccompanied minor on an Air Canada flight will cost you $100 per child, per way, with pets in the cabin costing $50 per pet, per way. Pets in baggage are slightly pricier, at $105 per pet, per way.

Standard seat selection for the cheapest tickets will also cost you on this airline — $10 to $40 per one-way flight segment. You'll pay $19 to $150 per flight segment for extra legroom, $7.95 to $9.95 for in-flight WiFi and $3 to $7 for a meal or snack.

For more legroom and early boarding on American Airlines, fees start at $20. An all-day WiFi pass is $16 on most domestic flights, and snacks and meals are priced from $2 to $10. Unaccompanied minors can fly for an additional $150 fee each way, and carry-on pets cost $125. Checked pets cost an additional $200.

On Delta flights, unaccompanied minors cost $150 each way. The airline charges a carry-on pet fee of $125, with all other pets booked separately through Delta Cargo. Snacks and meals are available for $6.99 to $9.99.

Travelers can purchase a snack or meal on a United flight for $5.99 to $9.99. Pets cost $125 each way in-cabin, with unaccompanied minors ringing up an extra fee of $150 each way. The airline also charges $25 if you book your tickets through the call center.

Booking your ticket online is free, but making a flight reservation through the call center at Silver Airways will cost you $25, and booking at the airport will cost $35. Carrying a pet onboard comes with a $125 fee per way. Unaccompanied minors cost $150 each way on top of the ticket price.

Additional fees on British Airways are minimal — mostly because the things that cost money on other international carriers aren't allowed on British Airways. That goes for pets in the cabin, except service dogs, and unaccompanied minors. Standard meal service is included in the ticket price, although upgrades are available.

Booking a ticket by phone will cost $25, with tickets booked at the airport costing an additional $35 fee. In-cabin pets travel for $200, and meals are $12 to $17. However, in-flight entertainment is complimentary.

Each traveler can select a standard seat in advance of the flight for $6 to $11. Unaccompanied minors fly for a $100 per-child, per-way fee, and pets fly in the cabin for $75. Reservations made via the call center cost $10 per passenger. Snacks are offered during the flight for $3 each.

Although Lufthansa offers a free carry-on and first checked bag, its price for a second checked bag is steep. An unaccompanied minor also flies at a rather high cost — $165 each way. Pets can fly in the cabin for $100 each way. Meals are included with an economy ticket price.

Spirit is best known as a budget airline that charges bit-by-bit for each piece of a flight experience. It's almost impossible to know exactly how much you'll pay until you book a flight from a specific destination, to a specific destination, on a specific date. All bags come with a fee, with the exception of a small personal item like a purse.

Spirit also allows travelers to choose seat assignments for anywhere from $1 to $50 and board early for $5.99. Other fees include $2 to print a boarding pass at an airport kiosk; $10 to have your boarding pass printed by an agent at the airport; $100 for an unaccompanied minor (price includes a snack and beverage) and $110 to transport a pet in the cabin. Snacks are offered for $1 to $10; drinks $1 to $15.

Methodology: Airlines were ranked based on listed carry-on and first and second check baggage fees for economy-class tickets on domestic routes within the United States or, in cases of international carriers, on international routes from a major U.S. city to the airline's main hub. In cases where a range of fees are listed, airlines were ranked based on lowest listed fees for economy-class tickets. Excess baggage fees did not factor into the ranking and are provided for added information only. Pet fees, unaccompanied minor fees, meal fees and other a la carte service fees also did not factor into the ranking and are provided for added information only. Unless otherwise stated, all fees are each way, not round-trip. Some fees also have taxes, which are not included. All prices and fees are listed in U.S. dollars based on conversion rates on May 16, 2016.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com:

25 Airlines With the Lowest Fees

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