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Spirit Airlines (Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood) announced it will start charging as much as $45 for carry-on bags.
Spirit said the new charge will help the airline lower base air fares. The fee applies to carry-ons placed in overhead bins, while personal items placed under the seat will remain free.
Spirit will charge $45 for these bags at the gate and $30 when paid in advance. Members of Spirit’s frequent flier program will be charged $20 for carry-on bags if they pay in advance.
The fee applies for travel after August 1.
Spirit is following the ultra low-fare model of Ryanair which charges for everything extra except basic air travel. In fact Ryanair is still looking at charging for the use of the on-board toilets. Will Spirit follow that example too? Has Spirit gone too far?
Read the full report from Reuters:
Yes, As a travel agent. NK is going to price it self to almost extinction. A family of 4 flying from DTW to MCO will be adding on $700.00 to the base fare. And NK is not lowing prices out of DTW by that much. So, Yes they are going crazy with unbundling fees.
Thank you Charles. I believe they gone over the line but they are following the Ryanair play book that there is no such thing as bad publicity. I gather all of this attention may have helped their bookings. This may have been an intentional move to garner the headlines and to get strong reactions from the public. Time will tell if it was a smart move.
Bruce Drum