Spirit Airlines has lost its damn mind!
The supposed “discount” airline already charges fliers who aren’t members of the airline’s fare club $30 for a carry-on bag (a policy which began in April 2010 for anyone who thought they could circumvent bag fees by just carrying on for free). But now, Spirit Airlines has added fees for travelers who wait until the last minute to pay for their carry-on or checked luggage.
Calling its previous bag fees an “Early Bird Discount,” the airline says it will now charge travelers who pay for checked or carry-on bags online and within 24 hours of departure an extra $5, as well as an extra $10 for travelers who pay over the phone. “With this updated policy, fees remain the same for customers who pre-purchase their bags at least 24 hours in advance via spirit.com or through reservations,” spokeswoman Misty Pinson said. “We are continuing to pass savings along to our customers who choose self-service options vs. waiting until they get to the aiport to conduct their transactions.”
So to translate, paying for carry-on bags at the airport will now cost $40 at the airport check-in counter or kiosk and $45 at the gate. The airline is offering passengers the opportunity to pay a premium to join their travel club, which which will allow them the privilege to be charged a lesser baggage fee. The changes are in effect for travelers who booked on or after March 24.
But wait, there’s more: Spirit Airlines also has dropped its limit for overweight checked bags from 50 pounds to 40 pounds (every other airline charges overweight fees at 50 pounds and above).
This means that if your bag weighs between 41 and 50 pounds, you’ll now pay an additional $25 on top of whatever you paid to check the bag. Checked bag fees will start at $28 for the first bag checked online or by phone, within 24 hours of travel and for those who aren’t part of the airline’s fare club.
So to translate, bags weighing more than 50 pounds on Spirit will now see a $50 to $100 overweight baggage fees, depending on weight. The new weight limits quietly went into effect on February 1.
TRAVEL TIP: When booking an airline ticket these days, the practice of just buying the lowest priced travel ticket is over and non-existent. Travelers MUST add baggage fees, seating charges and other fees into every ticket from now on in order to know the TRUE and ACTUAL cost of a ticket. Or perhaps traveler’s can write members of Congress and ask them to stop allowing airlines to fool us into fake travel costs, by requiring them to divulge the FULL COST of a trip prior to purchase.
