andIt Starts...first Airline to Start Charging for Carry-Ons!

[esavvymom]

I wondered how long it would take before an airline would start charging for a Carry-On bag. A whopping $45 ($30 if you pre-order online)!! It's free if you can fit it under your seat.....
Spirit Airlines to charge for carry-on bags - Apr. 6, 2010Should we take bets on how long before the other carriers follow suit? They all seem to watch what happens to the first brave company, and then if things don't fall apart, they all start doing it. At least it doesn't start until August....so should impact anyone for conference flights- but I bet the holidays this year will be costly. Just ridiculous! You pay $$$ for the ticket, then JUST as much just to take a bag or two! It will be cheaper to FedEx the bags to your destination!

 

[jwpamp]

Spirit Air has been one of the airlines that has had a LOT of people JUST carry on and not check luggage. No surprises there.Also, the last few times we have flown there was a full row available for each passenger (Chicago to Florida). Really, I am not kidding. There were probably 40 on the flight I took back from Florida in early March. They CAN'T be making ANY money that way!!!

 

[Sheila]

I've never flown that airline, but I know how annoying it can be to be stuck behind people who try to carry on more than they are supposed to take & then you have to wait for them to find a place for all of it. I've been out of the US for so long, I didn't realize that some of the carriers are charging for checked baggage now. It says that they are lowering the checked baggage price so it looks like it would be an incentive for them to check it vs. carrying it on. It might speed up the boarding & deboarding process, but it will increase the number of people standing in line to check baggage at the counter and the number of people standing around waiting for their luggage to come down the conveyor belt. It all sounds like a big hassle either way.I'm shipping clothes from Japan to TX when I go home in May. I'm taking a 1 year old, a 2 year old and what I absolutely HAVE to have on the plane as far as snacks, diapers and toys to keep them entertained. Oh, and of course my laptop & about 6 catalogs & order forms. I'd LOVE to sit on the plane & make a catalog show out of a 12.5 hour flight! LOL (I actually had a dream last month that I had people standing in line on the plane to place orders. Wouldn't THAT be nice. Too bad it was just a dream!)

 

[gaddischef]

This is ridiculous!!!! I do know it is annoying when people have large carry-ons, but geez!!

 

[Dotty]

Wow, a catalogue show on a plane. What a cool idea! Of course, they'll all have to choose the direct shipping option. Let us know if it ever happens.

 

[esavvymom]

Spirit Air has been one of the airlines that has had a LOT of people JUST carry on and not check luggage. No surprises there.Also, the last few times we have flown there was a full row available for each passenger (Chicago to Florida). Really, I am not kidding. There were probably 40 on the flight I took back from Florida in early March. They CAN'T be making ANY money that way!!!

I didn't see it so much about THAT particular airline and them making money, etc.....as much as it's a precursor to the OTHER airlines doing it. They are watching to see consumer reaction. If it's decent or no impact to business so much, then you'll see American, Continental, United, etc- all start doing their own similar fees.And I agree that having folks bring everything on board is a pain- but it's the airlines fault. What did they THINK people would do when they got charged for ANY checked bag?? Geesh.... Keep the carry-on and 1st bag free...set a SIZE limit if you have to. Then charge a reasonable fee for the 2nd and above bags. OR better yet...just have a reasonable ticket charge and NO baggage fees. ....they way they did it for years! It's amazing that the fees came about when gas was over $3-4 a gallon...but did the fees go away when the gas prices went back down? Uh..NO.