Finding Online Deals

There are many, many places on the Internet that allow you to search out and compare airfares, cruises, hotels, and rental cars. Check out the Reservations for sites that I use regularly for comparison purposes.

Many of the sites don't include include the government-imposed taxes and fees charged on a per-person basis in their price quotes. However, some sites do include these fees in their posted fares. Just remember that when comparing prices make sure you're comparing apples with apples, so to speak.

Here are some possible fees that could be added to quoted fares:

Airport Passenger Facility Fee: up to US$18.00.

September 11th Security Tax: up to US$10.00.

Federal Segment Tax: up to US$3.00 per segment.

U.S. Custom and Immigration Fee: US$7.00.

Canadian Airport Improvement Fee: pricing varies by airport.

Canadian Traveler Security Fee: up to CAD$24.00.

Mexico International Departure Tax: approximately US$54.00.

Mexico Visitors Tax: US$18.00 (this may fluctuate with the Peso)

These are the comparison prices I found at sites when trying to find a good deal for a flight to the San Francisco Bay area. I ended up purchasing the tickets for the flight directly from Alaska Airlines because the fare they quoted me included all the additional taxes and fees.

Flying into Oakland: