Spirit Airlines announces plan to charge for carry-on bags

[Dr.Phool]

Source: St. Pete Times

Spirit Airlines announces plan to charge for carry-on bags

By Steve Huettel, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Apr 06, 2010 12:18 PM

Spirit Airlines, the leisure airline that pioneered new add-on fees, will begin charging as much as $45 each way to put a carry-on bag into the overhead bin.

Spirit could be the first airline anywhere to charge for carry-ons. Other discount carriers that were early proponents of fees for services that used to be free — such as Allegiant Air and Ireland's Ryanair — haven't gone so far as to charge for carry-on bags.

But now that Spirit opened the door, experts are asking if major airlines will follow suit. The revenue from fees is huge: more than $2 billion in the third quarter of 2009 alone, up 36 percent from the same period a year earlier.

South Florida-based Spirit has led the charge. It was among the first to charge for checked bags, a policy adopted widely by major, full-service carriers and discounters as well. But Spirit has gone beyond most competitors, charging for buying a ticket on its Web site and for reserving any seat in advance.

(more)

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/airlines/spirit-airlines-announces-plan-to-charge-for-carry-on-bags/1085432

---

Who do these guys think they are, Banksters? They just never give up.

[Haole Girl]

1. THAT won't go over well.

On the other hand, airline ticket prices are virtually the same as they were in 1980. The fees are really in lieu of raising ticket prices. Really.

[tomm2thumbs]

2. now 'That's the Spirit!' - NOT... next stop... charging you if you recline your seat!

talk about stupidly bad publicity - these folks are putting a big red target on their company and saying 'go ahead Southwest - begin attack ads'

[Jokerman]

3. Also, the emergency oxygen masks will now be coin operated.

If you have to ask how much oxygen costs, you can't afford it.

[KittyWampus]

14. why stop there, flyers may not need the oxygen. But toilets? There you go!

[Dr.Phool]

17. RyanAir already covered that one!

[Roland99]

4. People will start wearing cargo pants and stuffing their pockets

and, thus, holding up the security checkpoints all that much more.

what a bone-headed move.

[Kolesar]

10. A cycling jersey has three big pockets on the back

Put your clothes in stuff sacks and tuck them into your shirt pockets.

[wilt the stilt]

5. Maybe Hotels are next?

of course, there are plenty of hotels where no one checks bags.

[Taverner]

6. OK - time to get those ScotteVests and stuff them full of your clothing

Jeez, the airlines are trying to nickel and dime us to death here!

[russian33]

8. if only nickle and dime

$45 for 1 carry on bag, about $25 per checked bag...$100 or so extra on top of the ticket price...

but on the bright side, Southwest should get more business, and hopefully expand to more locations

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. Spirit Airlines?

Boy, am I living in a bubble.

[avebury]

9. I have no problem with that

I am tired of flying with people who bring everything but the kitchen sink on the plane in order to to try to avoid paying checked luggage fees. On my last flight I mentioned to the flight attendant that I would rather see airlines charge fees for carry ons then checked luggage. The attendant agreed with me.

[Dappleganger]

11. They're charging for checked luggage too.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[underseasurveyor]

15. Well if they are going to charge for carry ons

I will bring a kitchen sink. Might as well get my moneys worth. Right?

[LuckyLib]

16. I agree. Charge folks to bring their stuff onboard, checked baggage is free.

Then it won't take 20 minutes to deplane, while folks have other people get their stuff out of the overhead bins because they can't lift it. (Not to mention that folks now bring three items to put overhead . . . filling up and causing those boarding last to have to check their baggage anyway!)

[KansDem]

18. That happened to me two weeks ago!

I flew from LA to KC. When I was boarding the plane in LA, I had to check my carry-on while I was getting on the plane! My carry-on met the restrictions on dimensions, yet there were so many passengers bringing two pieces of luggage on, they ran out of overhead compartments! I was in the last group to board but there wasn't any overhead space left.

And I noticed passengers lugging on two pieces of luggage that had to exceed the carry-on dimensions restrictions. It seems to me that you should be limited to the overhead compartment space immediately above your seat, and no more...

[likesmountains 52]

19. Amen. I always thought that the people who didn't have carry on luggage stored in the bins should

be allowed to deplane first.

[HillbillyBob]

20. I normally only travel for family emergency

I only take 2 carry ons, my meds bag which cannot travel apart from me since I have emergency meds that I may have to take and its a lunchbox size something like 8x10x6 or so and another bag with socks, unders, soap extra pair of jeans and a tee shirt or two and that is packed navy style its not much bigger than the lunch box. I can't see paying 45$ for that. Oh and my cane.
Those that carry a kitchen sink or what have you are amateurs and should drive where they are going or take a bus.

Getting through security is such a pia that I begin to think that things are being arranged so we stay in one place and not travel.

We went to Vermont last fall, and thought to go to Montreal and we were treated like fucking terrorists and not by the Canadiens.

[Hawkeye-X]

13. Nope, not going to fly on Spirit.

And they don't service my home airport anyway, so no big loss.

We're taking F9 to Las Vegas, and they don't charge for carry-on, but they do for regular baggage.

Still deciding on F9 or LUV for LAX or LGB.

Hawkeye-X

[turner52]

21. carry on luggage

I wonder if it would be cheaper to just UPS your stuff to your destination....

[neverforget]

22. I always put my small backpack under the seat in front of me as I usually

have to get something from it during the flight.

[high density]

23. I'm kind of conflicted

I am tired of the people who bring on huge luggage that should be checked, and I think this fee could discourage that. On the other hand, I don't exactly want to sit with my carry-on in the space under the seat. The leg room is cramped enough as it is.

[Dorian Gray]

24. Wow......

and flying becomes more and more unpleasant.

What a joke.