If you've rented a car recently, you know that the difference between the "base" rate and the final price can be 40 to 50 percent higher. What's with all the extras? They're fees, surcharges -- and taxes.

Ryanair, the European no-frills airline that has been pushing the boundaries of country law and airline traditions in search of lower fares, has met stiff resistance in Spain. A judge there just ruled that Ryanair's rule that passengers print out boarding passes before coming to the airport or face a €40 ($55) boarding-pass-printing-fee to be "abusive."