Just when you thought commercial carriers couldn’t possibly penalize your pocketbook any more with their exorbitant baggage fees, Spirit Airlines just announced it plans to charge passengers $100 for carry-ons. Fortunately, there are ways you can avoid being hit with this outrageous fee.
Beginning November 6th, Spirit will slap passengers with the 100-buck fee if they wait until they get to the boarding gate to pay. If you fly the discount airline and pay before getting to the airport, you will save a substantial amount of money.
Here’s how you can avoid being hit with the sky-high baggage surcharge:
Option #1: Join Spirit’s $9 Fare Club; by doing so you will only be charged $25 for a carry-on bag.
Option #2: Pay the carry-on fee online in advance of your flight; by doing so you will only be charged $35.
Option #3: Pay the carry-on fee over the phone prior to your departure date; by doing so you will only be charged $40.
Option #4: If you pay the carry-on fee at the airport ticket counter on the day of your flight you will be assessed a $50 carry-on fee.
If you forgo the aforementioned options and wait until you get to the gate to declare your carry-on, you will be hit with the $100 fee.
I suppose another option would be to travel very, very lightly. Spirit Airlines allows passengers to carry-on one personal item for free. However, the item must fit under the seat.
According to Spirit, its fee structure is designed to keep the cost of flying affordable for those who know how to pack efficiently. The airline maintains that by passing the cost of handling bags to passengers who bring them rather than raising prices for all flyers, it is able to attract a broader customer base.
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