Who would have thought a few years ago that one day a quarter of us would find it acceptable to pay extra just to be checked in?

Have we all been brainwashed by the budget airlines?

And do you know how these additional charges add up?

I love the ongoing spat between Ryanair and Easyjet and I bet the advertising departments at newspapers across the land are just as enthusiastic.

Because the intense rivalry between the UK's two leading budget airlines means they are so self-absorbed in everything they do that they actually don't feel any criticism from Joe Public outraged at being charged to board a plan, take luggage or even dare to want to eat on one of their flights.

They are both as bad as each other, taking the golden age of jet travel to lows.

Ryanair seems to love taking out expensive newspaper adverts attacking the opposition but the in-fighting is so 'in' that half the time I have no idea what the point of the advertisement actually is. Something about Stelios, or late planes? But I did have sympathy with Easyjet's slagging off Ryanair for advertising that they flew direct to European cities when in fact they flew to towns nearby.

The reaction to Kraft's imminent takeover of Cadbury continues to rumble along with the latest news being an announcement from US chocolate maker Hershey that they won't be making a rival bid to the £11.9 billion offer already on the table.

Considering that Hershey were only ever a side-bet on having any involvement, it's strange they even felt it necessary to say anything at all. But it does give you an idea on the backroom machinations that are still going like the clappers in a bid to scupper Kraft's deal.

Everyone has had a say on this most controversial of hostile takeovers, from the Government trying to get Kraft to guarantee jobs to the Dairylea-makers key shareholder Warren Buffet expressing his reservations about the whole deal.

Though it's really down to the shareholders and that offer of 840p a share is mighty tempting.

A study has exposed the real extent of all those hidden charges made by budget airlines, and the effect they have on the cost of the flight - and it's staggering.

For a typical traveller they can easily add up to another 25% or more on top of the price.

So who are the worst offenders, what are the charges to watch for, and what can you do about it?

One of the most annoying things about buying flights with a budget airline is the raft of extra charges that are added to your fare throughout the booking process.

And perhaps the most irritating of these - often unavoidable - fees, is the up to £5 per passenger companies such as Ryanair charge you for paying with a credit or debit card.

I blogged the other day about the Visa Electron card, the one that got around these nasty charges and is in the process of being phased out.

Now Ryanair has responded - and its not good news.

The debit and credit card charges imposed by low-cost airlines can add up to £40 to the cost of a return flight for a family of four – unless you pay using a Visa Electron card.

But savvy budget airline customers are going to find it increasingly hard to avoid transaction fees when they pay for flights online due to the dwindling number of lenders offering this type of plastic.

So what's going on?

Airlines have been making the headlines a lot recently.

First, there was the announcement of a proposed merger between stricken British Airways and struggling Spanish airline Iberia; you can read all about what the BA merger will mean for you here.

Then came the news that budget giant easyJet has seen its full-year profits fall by a whopping 50% in the face of rising fuel costs.

I've been known to have very uncharitable thoughts towards airlines, particularly when enduring long delays and an endless run of baggage charges. But I'm beginning to think that perhaps we all expect far too much from them...

Last week, I blogged about the extra travel insurance pitfalls you need to be aware of if you're planning a winter sports holiday this year.

In a nutshell, choose the wrong policy and you could end up footing the entire bill for your own helicopter rescue. Aagh.

Anyway, today I came across a travel insurance tale that made me really sad. It involves a tragedy that none of us want to contemplate... but we need to, to make sure we don't end up in exactly the same boat...

An article popped up in my Twitter feed yesterday that explains exactly why the budget airlines can charge you such cheap rates (until you've paid to check in your baggage, used you debit card, sneezed or used the arm-rest).

It is like watching a car crash as Peter Andre and Katie Price share the demolition of their marriage with the whole world. I just can't look away as one horrendous scene unfolds after another.

My main concern about this approach to relationship therapy is the cost. While poor ol' Pete stays in Cyprus with their kids, assorted hangers-on and his mum, he's probably not paying huge outlays as he owns the villa already. Meanwhile, his soon-to-be-ex-missus is on a super bender on the island of Ibiza blowing all the hard-earned cash that her husband was probably hoping he'd be sharing with her.

Most airlines don't advertise this fact, but they will refund airport fees and taxes if you're unable to make a flight. You can claim money back if you're unable to make your flight for any reason. Even if your ticket was non-refundable.

Airlines don't have to do this, and there's usually an admin charge involved, but sometimes, this can be worth pursuing to reclaim at least some of your costs.

Here are some tips to help you get your money back.