Cha-Ching!

[Dummy Pilot]

The other day a Flight Attendant and I were greeting the Pax as they boarded and watching the complete cluster-F*ck that occurs everytime with people taking forever to stow their carryons and sit down while the line comes to a stand still. Young people with bags bursting at the seams trying to jam them forcibly into into an overhead and old people who can't lift the bag they brought over their heads. The F/A turned to me and said we're doing this all wrong.....we ought to be charging to bring a bag on board, not to check it below. Apparently Spirit thinks you should do both.

Spirit Airlines to charge up to $45 for carry-on bags in overhead bin starting Aug. 1

Joshua Freed, AP Airlines Writer, On Tuesday April 6, 2010, 12:02 pm

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Spirit Airlines will charge as much as $45 each way for a carry-on bag, adding a fee that bigger airlines have yet to try.

The charge will apply to bags in the overhead bin. Personal items that fit under the seat will still be free. Spirit said it will add measuring devices at the gates to determine which carry-ons are free and which ones will incur the charge.

The new charge is $45 if paid at the gate, and $30 if paid in advance, and begins Aug. 1. Spirit said on Tuesday that it reduced its lowest fares by $40 on average, so most customers won't really pay more to fly.

Spirit also charges to check luggage.

Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza said having fewer carry-on bags will help empty the plane faster. He said the idea is to get customers to pay for individual things they want, while keeping the base fare low.

"The beauty of it is they will do what they think is best for them and will now have the choice," he said.

Spirit is based in Miramar, Fla., and most of its routes run through Fort Lauderdale to Latin America.

Even though it's a minor player, bigger airlines are likely to watch to see whether customers are willing to pay for carry-ons. None of the major carriers made any immediate changes to their fees on Tuesday morning.

Fees for checking bags on the big U.S. carriers got started in 2008. At first, many travelers thought they wouldn't last. But now all the big airlines except Southwest and JetBlue charge to check a bag on domestic flights

[OldSowBreath]

Airline suicide. Great corporate thinking at work here. But I do agree with you about all these half-wits who board a plane with most of their worldly possessions as carryons, especially the people with their children strapped in a Space Shuttle car/stroller/ejection seat.

To bootstrap onto your rant - and how about training people on how to disembark from an aircraft? Easily the most inefficient part of any flight is the aforementioned half-wits struggling in the aisle with their overhead steamer trunks as the rest of the pax are ready to get off the damn plane.

[Verbal]

Will they be charging for dead bodies stuffed in the overheads?

[Putt4Par]

As much as I can't stand those slow people trying to shove huge bags in the overhead bin, this is way too much. You go on vacation
and have to pay almost $100 each way to bring two bags, one carryon and one checked? plus your ticket? If the issue here is to avoid delays and speed things up, there are other solutions. $45 is way too stiff. I will make a note to never fly this airline...ever, even if they reconsider this fee or even if other airlines follow suit. They were the first ones to come up with this idea and I will never forget that. So what are we supposed to fly with now? nothing?

I am flying Southwest Airlines as much as possible now.

I know the main reason is to make more money, but putting that aside I think a fair solution would be this: allow one checked bag for free (under 50lb) second one pays a fee and no third one allowed at all. And one small carryon for free that fits through a fixture box at the gate before boarding. And if your carryon doesn't pass the size test at the gate you pay $100 to have it checked. That would take care of people bringing huge bags as carryons in an attempt to avoid paying for a second bag at the counter....a practice that I have noticed a lot lately.

[flyboy2548m]

As much as I can't stand those slow people trying to shove huge bags in the overhead bin, this is way too much. You go on vacation
and have to pay almost $100 each way to bring two bags, one carryon and one checked? plus your ticket? If the issue here is to avoid delays and speed things up, there are other solutions. $45 is way too stiff. I will make a note to never fly this airline...ever, even if they reconsider this fee or even if other airlines follow suit. They were the first ones to come up with this idea and I will never forget that. So what are we supposed to fly with now? nothing?

Surely a man of your financial might always flies first class anyway.

[Ed]

Look at this...a fare from YYZ to LAS return:

Fare Summary
Passenger Type Adult
Departing Flight - Tango Plus 479.00
Returning Flight - Tango Plus 848.00
Surcharges 15.00

Taxes, Fees and Charges
Canada Airport Improvement Fee 25.00
U.S.A Transportation Tax 33.12
U.S Agriculture Fee 5.14
Air Travellers Security Charge (ATSC) 7.94
U.S Passenger Facility Charge 4.63
Canada Goods and Services Tax (GST/HST #10009-2287 RT0001) 68.75
September 11 Security Fee 2.57
U.S.A Immigration User Fee 7.20
Total airfare and taxes before options (per passenger) 1496.35

And my option when booking was to get a middle seat (even though I am sure there were other window/aisle seats not booked), or pay another $52 to get an emergency exit seat. I paid the $52.

This is why people are ramming all kinds of shit into overheads, to avoid another fee for checked bags. I always pack light onto the aircraft and use skycheck (is it even still available?), and loath those people with huge bags, but the reality is average joe is just trying to save some money.

This entire system is eventually going to crumble. I don't take an a/c for pleasure anymore just because of these ludicrous fees and the annoyance (three hours before departure for a US bound flight? gimme a f***ing break...). The bonus for where I live is that they are getting my money for local tourism, which is just fine with us. Airlines will eventually do the numbers and realize that, although they can and must survive on business travel, the gravy was in pleasure travel....and that is also where the bonus pool comes from.

Ed

[Putt4Par]

As much as I can't stand those slow people trying to shove huge bags in the overhead bin, this is way too much. You go on vacation
and have to pay almost $100 each way to bring two bags, one carryon and one checked? plus your ticket? If the issue here is to avoid delays and speed things up, there are other solutions. $45 is way too stiff. I will make a note to never fly this airline...ever, even if they reconsider this fee or even if other airlines follow suit. They were the first ones to come up with this idea and I will never forget that. So what are we supposed to fly with now? nothing?

Surely a man of your financial might always flies first class anyway.

Absolutely. Now, how are you familiar with first class? I thought the CRJ only had cattle class.

[3WE]

Bitch bitch, blah blah, traditional services, blah blah blah, bitch bitch bitch

[David Hilditch]

.......I will make a note to never fly this airline...

Does anybody actually fly this airline ?

[Putt4Par]

.......I will make a note to never fly this airline...

Does anybody actually fly this airline ?

Good point. I will still make a note of it....just to make sure I don't book a flight with them by mistake, either personal or business.

[Putt4Par]

Look at this...a fare from YYZ to LAS return:
U.S Agriculture Fee 5.14
Air Travellers Security Charge (ATSC) 7.94

Agricultural Fee???? What is that for? to pay for insurance in case the airplane crashes and destroy some crops in Oklahoma?

ATSC??? So it costs me $7.94 to go through the metal detector?

[Ancient Mariner]

Look at this...a fare from YYZ to LAS return:
U.S Agriculture Fee 5.14
Air Travellers Security Charge (ATSC) 7.94

Agricultural Fee???? What is that for? Remember those peanuts they feed you?

ATSC??? So it costs me $7.94 to go through the metal detector? Remember who's fed peanuts?

Per

[Sickbag]

Air Travellers Security Charge (ATSC) 7.94

What happens if you are subjected to a full body cavity search?
Do you get a discount or do you have to pay a surcharge?
Is there a per cavity rate?

[Verbal]

What happens if you are subjected to a full body cavity search?
Do you get a discount or do you have to pay a surcharge?

Surcharge, but only if you enjoy it.

[Ed]

The thing I find funny is the Sept 11 security charge AND the ATSC!

[Giles]

ATSC???

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublication ... =1&File=94

Enhanced aviation security initiatives that would be funded by the ATSC included:

an enhanced regulatory regime;

additional Transport Canada security inspectors;

the installation of reinforced cockpit doors on passenger aircraft;

increased policing presence at airports;

the establishment of the RCMP’s Canadian Air Carrier Protective Program (CACPP); and

the creation of CATSA to be responsible for the screening of passengers and their luggage.