• discussions >
• Front Room

I hope lap dances are included in these new fees

vincemichaels

Detroit

Spirit ups carry-on bag fee to $200 round-trip for someBy Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

Spirit Airlines is back in the news for its extra "a la carte" fees.
This time, though, it's not for a new fee – but rather for how much it is raising an existing fee.
Beginning this fall, placing a carry-on bag in Spirit's overhead storage bins will now cost some customers $100 each way – or a whopping $200 round-trip.
That, as The Associated Press notes, is more than many Spirit customers "may have paid for their tickets."
The new carry-on fee is up significantly from the $45 each way – or $90 round trip – that Spirit currently charges for carry-on bags declared at the gate. The new fee will apply to both domestic and international flights beginning Nov. 6.
However, customers can save dramatically if they plan ahead.
The fee $100-each-way carry-on fee drops to $50 each way/$100 round-trip (as of Nov. 6) if paid for at Spirit's ticket counters or check-in kiosks. The fee drops even more -- to $35 each way/$70 round-trip -- if reserved online prior to check-in or to $40/$80 if reserved through the airline's call center.
Alternatively, a customer could check a single bag for $35 each way ($70 round trip) if it is declared before check-in. The fee for checking a bag once at the airport is $45 each way ($90 round trip). A second checked bag costs $45 each way ($90 round trip) before check-in and $55 each way ($110 round trip)at the airport. Those rates also become effective Nov. 6, and are now standardized for both domestic and international flights.
So far, Spirit and Allegiant are the only U.S. carriers to charge customers for placing carry-on bags in their overhead storage bins. Smaller items that can fit beneath the seat in front of a passenger remain free of charge.
AP says that "in the first quarter, Spirit's average revenue from fees per passenger on a round-trip flight topped $100 for the first time."
The Wall Street Journal writes Spirit claims that topping the $100-per-round-trip figure is an industry-first.
The Journal adds:
Spirit has been a leader in charging for so-called ancillary services, stripping down its fares to offer only a ticket and ignoring criticism from some politicians about a strategy that includes charging extra for carry-on bags and which helped make it among the most profitable in the global industry