Spirit Hikes Its Baggage Fees

By Author: Steve Robinson
Total Articles: 468
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Known for its cheap base ticket prices, Spirit Airlines customers have to be very careful or a trip planned carefully after a thorough review of cheap travel options, including cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages will end up costing more than was budgeted. On January 1st many of Spirits baggage fees were increased by $1 to $6 per bag.

Spirit’s baggage fees tend to confuse many travelers given that it has 24 different baggage fees, depending on when and where a customer pays these fees and if the customer is a member of Spirits $9 Fare Club. Club members are provided access to the airline’s cheapest fares.

Carry-on bags that fit in an overhead compartment now cost $26, for club members, if paid for while booking a ticket online. Spirit continues to be the only airline charging for carry-ons.

Single checked bags now cost $21 for club members, with a second bag costing $31. Additional bags cost $76 each.

Club members must now pay $36 for carry-on when the fee is paid online if no baggage fee was initially paid when the ticket was purchased online. Prices for checked bags will ...
... rise from $31 to $41 to $86, pending on how many bags are checked when baggage fees are paid online at a later date than the initial reservation. This is a $6 increase on prior fees.

Non-club members (also referred to as “regular customers”) are now being charged $45 for a carry-on if the fee is not paid online when the reservation is first made. Checked bags cost $40 for the first bag, $50 for the second bag and $95 for each bag thereafter. This is a $5 increase.

The most costly baggage fee remains at $100, which is charged to check any bags in the airport.

Baggage fees play a major profit role for airlines. Almost 39 percent of Spirit’s revenues were derived from fees in 2012, more than any airline.
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