Charging for Carry-On luggage?

Qgar

Qgar

New Member
Just heard a teaser on my local tv newscast about a US airline charging for carry-on luggage. Of course, the airline wasn't named. Anyone have any info on this? :confused:
 
Spirit Airlines to charge for carry-on bags to pull down fares

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- In a bold move, low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines said Tuesday it would be the first carrier to charge for carry-on luggage, the latest step in de-bundling products and services traditionally included in the price of a ticket.

The Miramar, Fla., airline said the new policy would help reduce its fares further. The company also raised its fee for a second check-on bag.

"Bring less; pay less. It's simple," said Chief Operating Officer Ken McKenzie in a statement.

For flights on or after August 1, Spirit said it will charge passengers $45 for a carry-on bag, or $30 if they register the bag ahead of time either on line or on the phone. Members of the airline's $9 Club Fare will be charged $20.

Passengers are allowed just one carry-on bag.

Spirit raised its second check-bag fee to $45 from $25 when checked in at the airport. The first check-bag fee is held at $25.

"The real question is will other airlines follow," said Airfarewatchdog.com founder George Hobica.

Major legacy carriers such as American parent AMR Corp. /quotes/comstock/13*!amr/quotes/nls/amr (AMR 8.79, -0.06, -0.65%) and Delta Air Lines /quotes/comstock/13*!dal/quotes/nls/dal (DAL 14.51, +0.09, +0.62%) are likely watching customer reaction. Legacy carriers could likely add such a fee on their domestic routes while excluding their frequent-flier members, which represent the bulk of their core revenue.

Since 2008, airlines have been adding checked-on baggage fees to offset higher fuel costs and declining ticket sales.

For the third quarter, the latest data available, revenue from checked-on baggage fees exceeded $700 million, up 11% form the year-ago period, according to US Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

In the same time period, average fares fell 14.4%.

"The other question is when will more shoes drop," Hobica added, referring to the need of carriers to increase revenue further in a industry that's projected to post a loss for the third year in a row.

Airlines could still charge customers for using a credit or debit cards, or eliminate airport check-in counter staff completely, with passengers instead showing up at the airport with a printed boarding pass and paid luggage already paid for.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/spirit-airlines-to-charge-for-carry-on-bags-2010-04-06
 
Qgar said:
Just heard a teaser on my local tv newscast about a US airline charging for carry-on luggage. Of course, the airline wasn't named. Anyone have any info on this? :confused:
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I am sort of in favor of this, if they decrease or eliminate the first checked bag fee and still allow book bags/purses free. Luggage belongs under the plane, it was so damn annoying standing there waiting for people to hoist their 50 pound, made-to-just-fit suit cases into the over head bins. We were seated in a row with a bulk head in front of us, not a seat, so I had to put my bag in the overhead bin. To bad there was no overhead bin space left anywhere near my seat, or even on the plane at that point. So I was left putting it under a seat a few rows up, out of my sight in front of the wall.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if all airlines started to do this. It's getting to where it would almost be cheaper to bring nothing, dress in layers, and buy toothpaste/deodorant at the destination.

Greyhound keeps looking better and better.
 
What if people have to carry medical supplies when they travel, will they be charged 45 dollars? That is a little shady.
 
This is so BS! But we all know that passenger only care about low fares. They'll try and save a penny when they shop around for fares, but when they get to the airport they'll spend the money on the checked bags, headphones, drinks, blankets etc. I think charging for checked bags is kind of ridiculous, especially $45/bag. But hey, I can fly from FLL to DTW for $9!
 
I'd be all for this if checked bags were free. I think charging for checked and carry-ons is a bit much. I dont think the public will go for it. I see Spirit revoking this very soon.
 
Arpey said it himself. AA carries 250,000 passengers a day. If he could make an extra $1/passenger, that's $250,000 in revenue/day x 365 = $91,250,000 per year in incremental income for an industry that people demand be priced and regulated like a public utility.

As a consumer, I think it's cheesy, but then I wasn't able to bring in my own popcorn and soda from home when I went to go see "Hot Tub Time Machine" last night either.

I hope MY airline doesn't do it, but if that means that Spirit is going to show up at the top of the Orbitz fare grid because they're $1 "cheaper" than American or Delta, it worked.
 
I thought I read that diaper bags, medical stuff, etc. etc. would be free. Can't wait to see how many diaper bags start showing up.

I'm just going to wear everything...

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I understand why they are doing this. Carry-on luggage increases turn times, damage to bins, injuries to passengers and flight attendants from lifting bags.

However, I find it a bit ridiculous that after you pay $30 to check your bag and the airline loses it, that they shrug their shoulders when you ask where your bag is because they do not have a tracking program in place.
 
As an aside, decreased carry-on has the advantage of making the screening process both faster and more likely to catch the things they should be catching.
 
Houston said:
As an aside, decreased carry-on has the advantage of making the screening process both faster and more likely to catch the things they should be catching.
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So in the name of security, I should have to pay 45 dollars so I don't get to stare at a seatback for 4hrs? I don't buy it.
 
The last laptop I checked became a stolen laptop.

If an airline wants to charge me $45 to bring my laptop bag into the cabin, I will take my business elsewhere.
 
Matt13C said:
I am sort of in favor of this, if they decrease or eliminate the first checked bag fee and still allow book bags/purses free. Luggage belongs under the plane, it was so damn annoying standing there waiting for people to hoist their 50 pound, made-to-just-fit suit cases into the over head bins. We were seated in a row with a bulk head in front of us, not a seat, so I had to put my bag in the overhead bin. To bad there was no overhead bin space left anywhere near my seat, or even on the plane at that point. So I was left putting it under a seat a few rows up, out of my sight in front of the wall.
Click to expand...

I totally agree.... Nothing worse than some moron trying to stuff a oversize 26" rollerboard into a overhead bin, determined to make it fit cause they refuse to check bags to save money. Granted, I dont think purses, laptops, small backbacks should apply. But if you bring a suitcase onboard a plane, fair game.
 
Spirit's policy is that if it fits under the seat its still free...now we know how big that is ...:rolleyes: but your limited to just one of those... all else .. pop out the wallet. I agree its absurd to charge people for checked and carry on luggage just in order to make a few bucks. I can't imagine seeing this catch on, but we've all said that before.

I took my family on our first ever trip on Amtrak over this past christmas, where there's no crazy TSA people, and you can bring plenty of bags with out the fee and even bring on your own food and water .. .gasp..... Plus when they got me to my family through the massive snows that hit the midwest around Christmas, I was pretty pleased. It's not airline travel, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be ...
 
It won't be long before they start charging a seat belt usage fee. If there is a loss of cabin pressure, they will probably charge an oxygen mask usage fee as well. It will be free for first class passengers and frequent flier members though.
 
I would gladly take Amtrak if it wasn't nearly 26 hrs to get up to New England. If they could get some of the ICE 3 trains like in Germany, they'd have my business in a flash!
 
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