That carry-on bag will cost you!
Spirit Airlines has been getting negative press for their decision to start charging for oversized carry-ons. Just to clear up some misunderstandings, you will still be able to take on one “personal item” for free, but will have to pay for that suitcase you take onboard. You can get the details for Spirit Airlines' new luggage pricing tiers here. Spirit Airlines is, at least in my opinion, the most “cheap” or “truly discounted” major airline. Their pricing model seems to be evolving more towards that of the European carrier Ryanair (which may start charging to use the lavatory) or Allegiant Airlines which has enough “fees” even to confuse the most savvy traveler.
Taking a look at Spirit Airlines' most recent public financial statements, shows their financial state to not be in the best of shape [credit: Mary Kirby]. I believe Spirit Airlines is starting to charge for oversized carry-ons for the simple reason of revenue, they need cash and they are banking that you will pay them cash to avoid checking your luggage [I would love to think they are doing it to make for a more pleasant onboard experience by discouraging people from hogging the bins with their huge dated duffle bags, but probably not].
One thing to keep in mind when booking travel on discount airlines is that you might be paying less upfront but more at the airport (checked bag fees, carry-on bag fees, paying for drinks & snacks on board, seat selection fees). Keep this in mind as it could quickly equal the ticket price of a normal airline. The only “discount” airline I see avoiding these user fees is Southwest Airlines (but I would discourage flying them if you weigh more than 180 lbs). The great thing about all of this is that if the market (as in you the customer) truly does not want this, it will not be a profitable move for Spirit Airlines and would most likely be discontinued. A similar situation happened when US Airways started charging for refreshments in coach class.
I wanted to get the opinion of an industry expert, so I immediately turned to Mary Kirby (@RunwayGirl), an aviation blogger/expert who focuses on in-flight entertainment. She gave me the following statement on Spirit Airlines:
“Spirit’s latest effort to boost ancillary revenue by charging exorbitant carry-on luggage fees smells of desperation. It’s clear the carrier is intent to follow Ryanair down the ‘charge for everything’ path. However, Spirit is taking a gamble. US Airways last year reversed its decision to charge domestic coach passengers for beverages, saying it had put itself at a competitive disadvantage because no other large network carriers had followed its lead. If other carriers do not follow Spirit by charging for carry-on luggage, it could prove a very costly experiment for the low-lost carrier.”
[Spirit Airlines' CEO statement on the carry-on fee situation can be found here.]
So what do you think? Anger of extra fees aside, do you think the market will allow such a fee? Do you think other airlines will follow suit?
6 Comments
Reader Comments (6)
I think that airline's earlier decision to charge for checked bags was just about the most asinine thing they could do. It further incentivized people to carry on more which is the exact opposite of what they should be doing.
The system (from the airlines perspective) for handling checked bags is very efficient. A fifty percent increase in the number of checked bags would have almost no noticeable operational impact. An increase in the number of carry-ons on the other hand impacts flight turnaround times and resulting departure/arrival times.
Message to airlines: stop nickel-and-diming me. Be honest with me, treat me with some respect, and charge me what you have to charge me for my ticket.
I came across this article on USA Today's travel section.I think it ties in well to this article.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-04-18-carryon-airlines_N.htm
[...] Posted That carry-on bag will cost you!. [...]
[...] Shared That carry-on bag will cost you! | The Forward Cabin. [...]
[...] Your carry-on bag is going to cost you. [...]
Bottom line - it is bad press, reflects badly on the airline. I will not use them ! It is totally ridiculous to badger travelers, who have enough stress just in traveling, than to be nitpicked on this and that and that and this. Charge us what its going to cost us and leave us in peace!