Spirit raising bag fees

Spirit Airlines, the only airline to charge for carry-on bags,is raising its baggage rates. 

If you book your luggage less than 24 hours before flight time, there will be an additional $5 charge above the currrent fees, and $10 if booking over the phone. (So, if you try to bring your carry-on aboard, and it doesn’t fit under the seat, you’ll pay $45 at the gate for the privilege of using an overhead locker.)

Checked bag limits have been lowered from 50 to 40 lbs. The extra fee for any bag between 40 and 50 pounds is $25.

Comments

[Robert]

In these days of TSA scans, and fuel surcharges what is next? Perhaps the time is coming soon, when every passenger and their luggage will be put on a scale together at check in, and we all paid by the pound. I suspect many people would have lighter/ less luggage. Air fare would be priced like hamburger ...
I can see the fares now. How about LAX - JFK $ 2.25/ lb.

[Gary Williams]

Why does anyone fly Spirit?

[Frank II]

People fly Spirit for the same reason they fly many discount airlines. They want cheap fares.

If a fare is advertised at $10, it doesn't matter if the final cost is $90 after all the add-on fees because in their mind they only paid a fare of $10....and that's what they tell other people.

I remember someone bragging to me how they flew for "free" on Ryanair from London to Dublin. Free? really? But what about other fees. "Oh, he said," they came out to about 75 pounds but the flight was free."

Really?

[Esther]

I'm flying Spirit for a weekend trip to see a concert in Las Vegas in May. For short jaunts, I'll use the cheapo airlines because I can pack a small bag. For a real trip, I wouldn't touch them with a 50 ft. pole.