Airlines hike up holiday surcharges

TAMPA - The sky may be the limit when it comes to flying— well, it seems the same goes when it comes to airline surcharges.

Marc Orlando is planning to fly during the holidays.

"It's getting out of control," he said.

Several major airlines are adding holiday surcharges, and now announcing those additional fees will be doubling.

"I think it's ridiculous. I mean we're paying enough for the flights already as is," traveler Isabel Palmisano said.

Delta, American, United, U.S. Airways and Northwest all boosted the surcharges— it's now $20 one way. The fee applies to most flights during peak days around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

"I mean you have to worry about what your bag weighs. Does it weigh too much or too little or will it fit in the overhead bunk? Then you wonder when they're going to charge you to use the bathroom," Orlando said.

He and his wife Beth are planning a trip to Cancun for Christmas. And they know, it adds up.

"We have five kids, plus us, that's seven. You multiply that and it's hard enough to find the flight," she explained.

Others say they'll be skipping the flight all together this year.

"No, we can't find reasonable flights. We are originally from New Jersey and sometimes we like to fly home for the holidays, but it's impossible," Palmisano said.

The surcharges are up to each individual airline. Travel experts say the best way to try to save money is to keep checking around, be patient and above all else— be flexible.

"I don't agree with it. I think you should set the price and that should be the price," Curtis Rethwisch said.

Rethwisch and his family are still trying to decide whether or not to fly.

"Especially when people are having to make decisions to travel or to buy gifts for their family," he said.

Christmas can get costly, which means, home for the holidays may mean staying home for the holidays.