spirit airlines to charge for carryon bags

[Globaliser]

One checked bag should come with the price of the airline ticket.

Even if the baggage-inclusive ticket costs you $100 more than the ticket where you have to baggage fees? $50 more?

 

Or would you simply like to have your cake and eat it too?

[silentbob007]

Do you agree with this? I thought in your other thread you were against it. This overcharging is very, very wrong.

 

I don't see it as overcharging, but it is wrong. Airlines are adding these fees to be the cheapest, initial price on Kayak/Sidestep, etc, instead of including fees in a reasonable fare that will allow them to turn some sort of profit. I'm tired of the ovearhead baggage, but I wish instead of trending in this direction, others would head in the direction of Southwest.

[Globaliser]

... I wish instead of trending in this direction, others would head in the direction of Southwest.

However, don't forget that Southwest is also heading in the same direction as the others, even if their current position is still more generous.

 

It wasn't so long ago (16 June 2009, IIRC) that Southwest's free baggage allowance was three bags per person. Now it's been reduced to two bags per person. And although I can't remember the allowed weight per piece, it might well have been 70 lb per bag then; now it's certainly only 50 lb per bag.

 

So if the other airlines' fees stick, and the market gets used to the fact that the headline price on Southwest is really no cheaper than booking with other airlines, Southwest may have to continue moving in the same direction to compete. It will be very reluctant to do so, because it's making a virtue of baggage as one of its USPs. And it may never go as far as the other airlines have already done. But all this is possible.

[Globaliser]

Their prices are SKY HIGH ...

Spirit's prices are "sky high"? Do you fly them much?

[cruisemom42]

I feel airlines are getting out of hand in their CHEAPNESS

 

They have lost SOO much business ..time to get it back give more get more!!!

 

 

Every flight I have flown on for the past 6-8 months has been packed. Not an empty seat on the plane. Not sure where you think they are losing business.....:confused:

[chamima]

Why anyone flies on Spirit is beyond me. For a flight to LA last year Spirit appeared to be the least expensive option so I booked it. After I had given them my charge card number a screen appeared that told me my seats would be $12/aisle or $9/middle. I thought we had booked special seats so I checked ALL of the seats on the plane and that was the charge for any and every seat. So add $42 for both of us in two directions. Also paid the checked bag fees but at least I had expected that.

Then when we got on the plane it was $3.50 for water Add all of this to the fact that the times were atrocious (arrived 11pm and took off for home 10pm before and after a cruise) and we will NEVER fly Spirit again.

(BTW- the pilot's family flew with us and his wife told me she hates them but is obviously stuck flying them)

[orangeh3]

Delta and Northwest still book and fly independently, last I heard.

 

Sorry, they do not...having flown in March. And living in Minnesota, they are not indepentent any longer...:) again wrong information being passed around.

[orangeh3]

In January, 2010 the merger became total. Book only at Delta.com. Fly only on planes with Delta painted on them and with crew in Delta uniforms.

 

Thank you!

[FLACRUISER99]

Why is this thread on Princess and not the "Cruise Air" board?

[LARGIN]

Why is this thread on Princess and not the "Cruise Air" board?

 

I have been wondering that also.. :confused::confused:

[JPRLHR]

Why is this thread on Princess and not the "Cruise Air" board?

 

Don't knock it... At least it's taking the place of another smoking thread..!! :D

[dudeoutthere]

Don't knock it... At least it's taking the place of another smoking thread..!! :D

 

Does anyone think the cruise lines will start charging to smoke on their balconies?

[CFD130]

I can see the ads now-Fly (fill in the blank) round trip LAX-LGA **$49.00 round trip**

 

** Plus fees totaling $599.00 per person:confused:

 

I bet the next new fee will be the $39.00 "The fee we charge for the priviledge of you flying on our plane charge):eek:

[FireIce0010]

I have been wondering that also.. :confused::confused:

 

Makes three of us.

[knittinggirl]

We don't get charged for check in luggage or carry on on Qantas in OZ. A few of the cheaper ones do though. We won't fly them because once you add on the cost of all the extras including the food' date=' it is no cheaper.

 

We were just in your country for a month and had the joy of flying on Southwest and Delta. Couldn't believe how much carry on luggage people were allowed to take. Being ignorant of your boarding etiquette we held back and let the other passengers board (after all what was the urgency). We found out - our carry on luggage had to be checked in because all the overhead bins were full! Not happy!! Our carry on luggage held all our valuables. This was with Southwest. We learnt and became temporary americans and stood up before we were told and got in the way of people getting off the flight and rushed on as soon as we could and put our carry on luggage in the overhead bins first. :eek:

 

Delta was much more civilised. You just had to make sure you were either A or B as if you were in the C's - tough! Still had to pay for food though.

 

Oh, I hope it never gets like that here. But it probably will, the airlines seem to follow the example of the American airlines. And if they think they will get away with it, they will. :mad:[/quote']

 

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about new boarding category with Southwest. If I remember correctly, you pay $30 extra in your confirm registrations ahead of time, and they assign you a seat so you can pre-board. After all these paid pre-boards, they start with group A.

 

Back to the whole carry on issue. We each carry on a wheelie that's smaller than the maximum suggested size, 18" instead of 22" I think. And we've stuck with it, because it's so much easier to maneuver. Things are a little different these days, because you can't take your entire toiletry collection on board with you.

 

Security has really made a hassle out of flying. Instead of raising prices, and add ons. The airlines really need to make it worth our while to fly by lowering the prices, and offering better service with quality meals. We've pretty much stopped flying on those shorter flights due to the hassle.

[AuntieBon]

So does the bag have to merely "fit" under the seat but you can store it in the overhead compartment?

 

I only take one bag, take what I need out of it before I board the plane and then put the bag itself in the overhead because I hate losing what little leg room is in front of me. Is this going to incur the $45 fee? :eek:

 

Does anyone worry that the overhead bins will be empty and in case of emergency all that lose stuff under the seats will become missles? :eek:

[chamima]

S

 

Does anyone worry that the overhead bins will be empty and in case of emergency all that lose stuff under the seats will become missles? :eek:

 

 

Solution : Just don't fly on Spirit !!:D

[FlyerTalker]

Airlines are adding these fees to be the cheapest, initial price on Kayak/Sidestep, etc, instead of including fees in a reasonable fare

And I would bet that the ones squawking the most are those same people that relentlessly caused this behavior by searching for that "cheapest" price rather than buying on value.

 

LOOK IN THE MIRROR, AMERICA. And not just about airfares.

[AuntieBon]

Solution : Just don't fly on Spirit !!:D

 

That's a solution - for now. Spirit was the first to charge for checked bags and now with a few exceptions the other airlines are all following the lead on that revenue stream. Afraid that Spirit is only the FIRST but not the last. :mad:

[robgvic]

Apparently the head of Spirit was interviewed and he said there are those who shop Walmart and those who shop Bloomingdales. This is a similar situation and why I would not fly an airline like this, even to get on a cruise.

Airlines may be charging more extras but I don't think many of them are making money.

[YXU AC*SE]

I've posted this elsewhere, but the fee structure in my opinion, seems reasonable (if one is going to take the marketing decision to charge for bags - have to leave room for a particular Prussian NCO to recite bags fly free:D). And if the net effect is to reduce the number of bags flying in cabin for Spirit, then it will probably result in a more comfortable in-flight experience for all.

 

Unfortunately, when you base your purchasing decisions on solely upon price and not value, as FlyerTalker says, unbundling of price elements into base price plus accessorial charges is bound to happen.

 

In Canada, we even have a law re-aggregating airline pricing on the books. It was included in Bill C-11 - An Act to amend the Canada Transportation Act ... (http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublicat...3294543&file=4) The bill received Royal Assent in July 2007. It ordered that "regulations shall be made under that subsection requiring a carrier who advertises a price for an air service to include in the price all costs to the carrier of providing the service and to indicate in the advertisement all fees, charges and taxes collected by the carrier on behalf of another person in respect of the service, so as to enable a purchaser of the service to readily determine the total amount to be paid for the service."

 

However, it was left to Minister of Transport to proclaim these regulations in force - which has yet to be done, owing to the very effective lobbying of the airline industry who cited 'level playing field' issues - eg what other (read US / European) carriers doing in the market place.

 

 

Scott.

 

[Sargent_Schultz]

Airlines unbundle services specifically to leap to the top of the price leaders on Internet search engines. Those that stoop to this deceptive pricing tactic fail to address the root cause which is their business model and cost structure suck.

[AFT_LOVER]

I booked NWA CLE-MIA FC. GOT DL Skymiles # 2 weeks after I booked it in September. Then my NWA Worldperks miles were Skymiles in Oct. Then our FC was not FC DL CLE-CIN, which is Covington VW airport in a mini jet. Then we are FC to MIA and not free booze anymore. No meal served either. No hot towels. We did get Diet Coke & vending machine munchie packs from a basket.

 

Irish folks are complaining when their RYAN AIR charges $2 for bathroom visits. Spirit must be ready to do that also but they will charge $5.

 

 

:(Since Delta and Northwest are now merged and have been for some time, which one is correct? If you don't understand please do not post mis-information. :(

[Cuizer2]

Do you agree with this? I thought in your other thread you were against it. This overcharging is very, very wrong.

 

I think the airlines should charge for carry-on and allow at least one free checked bag. That would make things go a lot smoother.

[caribill]

So does the bag have to merely "fit" under the seat but you can store it in the overhead compartment?

 

 

If you pay Spirit's fee, you can store it overhead. If you do not pay Spirit's fee, you must keep it under the seat in front of you.

 

They will board those who have paid overhead fees first. Then anyone after that with too big a bag for under the seat will have to pay up.