Spirit Airlines Will Charge for Carry-On Luggage

This man is crying because he couldn't afford to bring his iPad

Spirit Airlines, which services LaGuardia Airport, announced yesterday that they will begin charging for carry-on bags in August. The new policy will allow passengers to bring one item on the plane (such as a backpack or purse) for free, and will charge passengers $30 for another carry on item if they check in online, and $45 if they check in at the gate. That's right folks, for almost half the price of a one way trip to Cancun, you can bring all of your stuff with you!

The discount airline has definitely been feeling some backlash. One passenger told the Daily News, "I'm not going to pay it. I'll drive just out of spite," while another said the policies are sexist. "Girls will have a hard time with it because we have a purse and typically another bag." Chief Operating Officer Ken McKenzie, however, said it shouldn't be that hard to comply with the new rules, which will keep ticket prices low. "Bring less; pay less. It's simple." And the rules are helping airlines' bottom lines, because they "have not been losing as many bags... baggage handlers appear to be suffering fewer injuries" and can ship more cargo.

Could the number crunching get any worse? Actually, it could. Dublin based Ryanair, popular among students in Europe for their cheap flights, is considering charging passengers to use the bathroom! According to CNN, they're working with Boeing to develop coin-operated bathrooms, supposedly to encourage passengers to use the facilities before they board the flight. How much do you think they'll charge for a carry-on chamber pot?

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By Jaya Saxena in News on April 7, 2010 3:55 PM

Comments [rss]

matthewpat

Just wait till RyanAir has their first airsick passenger trying to slide a coin into a slot...

matthewpat

Does SNL still make Oops I crapped my pants?

Eric

You know, all of these ridiculous fees started when gasoline was $5 a gallon. And the airlines admitted that it was. Now that gas is (and has been) back down, why aren't they reversing these fees? Instead they keep tacking on for the most insane things: pillow, water, carry on luggage, and the bathroom? I read on eliot.org that a mexican airline was charging for a "no smoking" seat. Smoking hasn't been legal on planes since the 80s! This is all just seriously so outrageous...

JenChungsBaby

How many layer of clothing will they allow you to wear?

Whartonman

You had me crying - that is the funniest shit b/c I know it's going to happen...

Rocknrope

I heard another airline is charging for using the lavatory. No, I'm not kidding.

bobchadwick

Oh yeah? Where'd you hear that? In the last paragraph of this blog post?

ANGRYGOD11

These charges are crap because the airline is charging everyone for no service. At least with checked baggage it's clear someone has to be paid to load and unload baggage. Passengers are carrying and stowing their own stuff, so what is Spirit doing for them?

ANGRYGOD11

Ryan Airlines, a private Irish discount airline, wanted to install pay-toilets on-board, but public outcry and possible legal reasons stopped that.

jaycjay

Heh. The funny thing is up there it says the airline is "considering" it. The linked article says that if it were to happen, it'd be 12 to 18 months away.

Then down here a few comments later, they're already "charging" for it... confirmed, "not kidding."

It's like that gossip game "telephone," all on a single web page.

TKaisen

I would rather them charge $150 for carry-ons and $0 for checked baggage so unloading the plane wasn't a 12 hour process.

jaycjay

Not really a big deal. It's just a way of obfuscating a fare hike, with the upside that it's possible for some people to avoid it -- which, of course, puts a bigger fare burden on those who do not.

A side effect, though, is that this kind of fare structure makes it much more difficult to price shop. You can't just look at various airlines and easily see how much you'd pay for a ticket, you also have to take the additional step of researching what else is going to be tacked on by each carrier.

schadenfreudian mensch

Yea, there's an app for that.

valeriob

WTF is Spirit Air anyway?

Gotham Extremist

Alcohol Airways is better suited

theevilone

Lesson learned: Fly naked.

NannyState

Worst Airline Ever. Seriously, try leaping off a tall building instead: you'll enjoy your flight more and have a smoother landing.

pinball29

I could understand this if they were NOT charging for checked luggage, but since they will now be charging for ALL luggage, both checked and carried on, I hope they go out of business. Anyone who would pay 45.00 to bring on a second bag is a moron. If the majors follow, people should just stop flying.

Thespis

Spirit is like Greyhound with less leg-space and fewer amenities. And this "bring less, pay less" bullshit is just that -- bullshit. If they dropped the price $30 per flight, fine -- but they're not. They're charging $30 MORE -- and therefore $30 more than their competitors (who may actually clean the gum off the seats from time to time).

Man, only a moron would fly Spirit Air.

UWS_CA

I just booked a flight to Michigan for $205. It did seem annoying paying extra for carry-on and picking my seat, but the price was still way below any other "traditional" airline. So before you call everyone a moron, do some research.