Spirit Airlines is perhaps pushing the envelope for what airline travelers will tolerate. Today the airline - which thankfully does not fly to/from Baltimore, but does offer flights from Reagan National - announced they would begin charging customers $45 for carry-ons at the gate or $30 in advance. Hmm. To balance that rather weighty increase, the airline said it had reduced base fares about $40 so travelers really wouldn't be paying more. Hmm. The idea, according to a Spirit spokesperson, is to have a really low base fare and then passengers can pay for what they want. (Like pay for peanuts or like pay for bathroom privileges?) The fee won't start until Aug. 1, so they're giving summer travelers a break.
Even though Spirit doesn't offer flights into Baltimore, you can bet the major airlines will be watching what happens with this new fee. If it's successful and passengers suck it up, that fee may just end up getting spread around the industry. Spirit also charges to check bags, so really what's a passenger to do? Well, you can a) ship your bags ahead - there's an entire new industry dedicated to this; b) convert to a backpack - Spirit is allowing carry-ons that fit under the seats. It's just the ones in the overhead bins that will cost you. or c) get used to it.