Casual fliers planning to carry-on luggage on Spirit Airlines in November who thought that they had purchased cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages may be in for a big surprise. Spirit passengers as of November 6th will be charged $100 for each carry-on bag unless they pay a lesser fee prior to arriving at their gate at the airport.
Spirit announced its intention of charging what many view as a punitive $100 carry-on fee in May.
Spirits top marketing claim is its ultra low ticket prices. However, many passengers find that the ultimate cost of flying on Spirit is more than expected, given that Spirit fees account for 40 percent of its total revenue. On average, Spirit passengers pay over $100 per round trip in fees.
Spirit employs a unique tiered baggage pricing approach that charges passengers more depending on when they notify the airline that they will be checking bags.
Members of Spirits $9 Fare Club will be charged $25 for a carry-on bag. Otherwise, carry-on fees are:
$35 if reserved online
$40 over the phone
$50 at the airport ticket counter
$100 if carry-on is taken to the gate before being declared
Spirit claims that it is saving its passengers money by passing on the cost of handling bags only to those who bring them on planes.
Spirit will continue to allow its passengers to carry-on one free personal item on board so long as it fits under the seat.
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