Spirit Airlines announced Tuesday that it will charge its customers $20 to $45 for items they place in the overhead bins.
The cost depends on whether passengers are members of the airline’s ultra-low fare club and whether they “pre-reserve” their carry-on bag in advance.
Each passenger will still able to bring one personal item that fits under a seat for free, such as a purse, briefcase, backpack or laptop computer. They also won’t have to pay extra for items such as diaper bags, pet containers and cameras.
Airline officials called it a “bring less; pay less” policy that would ultimately benefit customers.
Spirit’s new fee is effective for reservations made after April 5 for travel starting August 1. Although it’s already among the airlines that charge for checked bags, the ultra-low-cost carrier is the first carrier in the United States to implement a fee for carry-ons. It may also be the first airline in the world to do so, said Genevieve Shaw Brown, senior editor at Travelocity.
Spirit, which is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, and flies to destinations in the U.S., the Caribbean and Latin America, says it keeps costs low by starting with rock-bottom fares and asking passengers to pay only for the optional services they want.
Spirit’s new fee structure had industry observers wondering whether other airlines would follow. Shaw Brown called it a “very, very bold move” and predicted that Spirit’s competitors would be watching the fee’s failure or success very closely.
Others wondered whether it signals even more drastic changes for passengers.
(Read more at CNN.com)
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6 Responses
I wish this airline a speedy demise, hopefully they won’t do too much damage to the industry on their way down. I can only hope that other mainstream airlines (that most normal travelers use) don’t see this as a smart move.
Also, people need to really compare “apples to apples” when shopping for a flight; what might seem as a bargain usually turns out to cost more, both money-wise and in aggravation. I’ve heard nothing but horror stories about spirit. Buyer beware.
Oh give me a break! Why is it so expensive? Why does Spirit Airlines care so much if people bring luggage on the plane? I guess it’s anything for money! They may as well start charging 100000 for airline tickets for a 1 way trip to israel!
I guess if it’s still cheaper then you should pay for whatever they want to charge. The bottom line is what counts.
Because of security checking I hate to fly anyway.
Extras in the future:
Seats: regular – $20, reclining – $50 (else sit on the floor)
Rest room $2/minute
Air blower or light $1/5 minutes
my attitude is if they need to charge me $1000 to fly from Phoenix to LA, charge me $1000. do not charge me $100 for the ticket and $900 in BS charges. Just another reason I try to never fly the airlines. stop flying and they will change how they do business.
na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey GOOD BYE!!