spirit airline to charge for carry on (washington post)

[Andrea J.]

from washington post

Airline to charge for carry-on bags
12:30 P.M. UPDATE: Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza said having fewer carry-on bags will help empty the plane faster. He said the idea is to get customers to pay for individual things they want, while keeping the base fare low.

"The beauty of it is they will do what they think is best for them and will now have the choice," he said.

Spirit is based in Miramar, Fla., and most of its routes run through Fort Lauderdale to Latin America.

Even though it's a minor player, bigger airlines are likely to watch to see whether customers are willing to pay for carry-ons. None of the major carriers made any immediate changes to their fees on Tuesday morning.

Fees for checking bags on the big U.S. carriers got started in 2008. At first, many travelers thought they wouldn't last. But now all the big airlines except Southwest and JetBlue charge to check a bag on domestic flights.

-- Associated Press

Original post: If you're flying Spirit Airlines out of Reagan National Airport, you may want to pack lighter starting Aug. 1. The airline, which flies between National and Fort Lauderdale and San Juan, plans to begin charging passengers for carry-on baggage. Spirit will charge you as much as $45 each way if you want to put luggage in an overhead bin.

According to the Spirit Airlines Web site, the new policy will take effect Aug. 1. The Web site says that the non-refundable fees will apply for baggage that won't fit under the seat in front of you, so you still get one "personal item." That item can't measure more than 16 x 14 x 12.

There are also excluded items, such as diaper bags, car seats and strollers and umbrellas.

If you're a member of the airline's discount club, you'll pay $20 to carry on luggage, such as a standard roll-aboard. You'll pay $30 if you're a nonmember and check in before you get to the gate. At the gate, you'll get hit with a $45 fee. Those charges are in addition to any fees you would pay to check luggage.

Let's hope other airlines don't follow suit. What do you think? Let us know by e-mailing transportation@washpost.com.

-- Staff reports

[Arubalisa]

http://www.spiritair.com/Policiesbags.aspx#CarryOnBag

[KATH2ME]

IMO, i think the $45 is a bit much, my biggest issue is the people that get on with with bags, they shove them in the compartments as soon as they board and then their seat is way in back , than the people who are in the lower rows #s, they get called last, and by that time , there is no pillow, blanket ( yet, another charge now ) and No room for your small carry on. I could go on and on on this subject..

[Love Aruba]

Before long, it will be cheaper to just mail your bags before you go. Wonder if they would give you a discount if you had no luggage or carry on's? Yeah right!

[Shnyda]

Ridiculous - yet people will still fly Spirit and it will catch on and more airlines will start to do it.

[sunnysmiles]

They are getting a little carried away with all these fees IMO. It's getting out of control!!

[Randi]

Part of the problem is and has been created by the flight attendants themselves! My dh is a frequent traveller so we get to board first and watch what goes on. As stated, lots of people who board the plane and are sitting in the back place their hand luggage in the front of the plane. Easier when exiting but do any of the flight attendants stop them...NO!!!!

Also, lots of people bring on more than one personal item and a carry on. I have seen people take two carry ones and no one stopped them.

So, shame on the people who do it and shame on the airlines who don't stop them.

[Chadd]

Spirit is famous for the $9 (and sometimes cheaper) fares. It's also cheaper to check your bag than take a carry-on that you have to put in the overhead. And the $45 only applies if you try to take on a carry-on that should have been checked in the first place. In other words, you're better off checking the bag in the first place.

So, shame on the people who do it and shame on the airlines who don't stop them.

When you know the company won't stand behind you when you attempt to enforce company policy, you aren't going to enforce the policy. It's easier to put up with the people that bring on four or five carry-on bags than it is to make them toe the line. It's unfortunate for everyone, but the gate agents who should be monitoring the situation before they get on the airplane simply try to avoid confrontation as much as possible. It's understandable given the amount of undeserved abuse they get on a daily basis.

[Randi]

Chadd,
How about the flight attendants asking the customer to please but their bags in the overhead near their seat?

How are they going to enforce the carry on bag payment? If someone refuses to pay and brings the bag on the plane and then says I am not paying...what then? Is someone going to be checking all the carry on bags too?

[Chadd]

Originally Posted by Randi

Chadd,
How about the flight attendants asking the customer to please but their bags in the overhead near their seat?

How are they going to enforce the carry on bag payment? If someone refuses to pay and brings the bag on the plane and then says I am not paying...what then? Is someone going to be checking all the carry on bags too?

I don't work for Spirit, so I don't know how they're going to enforce the new policy. Most likely it will include the addition of a tag or some other simple visual identifier. No tag, no receipt, you don't get on the airplane. Spirit is much more strict than other airlines with their enforcement.

As for people being asked to put their bag near their seat, the flight attendants have addressed it every time they have seen it. And that has been on every airline I have flown, not just mine.