Nickel and Dimed

Feeling nickel and dimed nowadays? Join the club. The recent announcement of Spirit Airlines to charge passengers as much as $45 for each piece of carry-on luggage has left some people to wonder what’s next?

Sad but true, even the meetings and events industry cannot buck this trend. I recently was speaking with the catering department of a local venue discussing ways to implement green practices to my event. I requested they supply pitchers of water versus bottled water hoping to implement good environmental practices and cut costs for my client. Imagine my surprise when I found out there would be a dishwashing fee for each glass used!

And that’s not all. Here are just some of the other “convenience” charges new and old that we have to budget for when planning:

• Select hotels now charge what they call a “resort fee.” This grants guests access the pool and fitness center on site- a perk that used to come free with reserving such a room.
• Not a newly issue fee, but nonetheless still hard to swallow is the pricey Internet charges at hotels and convention centers for guests and exhibitors.
• Many hotels now are applying a mandatory bell or housekeeping gratuity to guests’ bills without disclosing these costs upfront.
• Planners and brides and grooms may have noticed that room blocks reservations are no longer a free service in some establishments. Some hotels charge up to $10 to hold the space for you.

Every facility is different and these charges may vary from place to place. One thing is certain, nowadays it is a must to read the fine print and research your options before making a commitment. Your wallet will thank you.