I am looking at booking a holiday through Travel Republic. I will be travelling alone and meeting family at the destination.
I can't proceed with the booking unless I tick a box "Airport check in for first passenger". I am the only passenger and it adds £16 to my booking. Is this a standard thing? I've not booked a holiday for years so would appreciate any advice.
Maybe the airport(s) you are using don't offer online check in so you have to check in at a desk, and they are being cheeky and charging you for it as an extra? A lot of airlines now charge you for checking in at the airport because its cheaper for them if you check in online and print your own boarding pass Which airlines and airports are involved in your booking?
Travel agents such as Travel Republic make money by charging commission to hotels and car hire companies or adding a mark up to wholesale prices. Airlines however don't pay commision so often travel agents charge some form of booking fee. This could be the case here unless the flight is with Ryanair in which case the charge is one from the airline.
There are charges for every aspect now - booking a seat, taking a checked-in suitcase, etc. It's the norm - but different airlines charge different amounts.
This may explain to you how bad things are now..My family and I have just booked fliights to America this summer... The invoice shows that the fares for 5 people actually only come to £962.00 but the taxes and fees are £1,684.00 making a grand total of £2,634.00...