Tiered Fee System Dings Passengers Who Delay Declaring Their Intention To Bring A Suitcase On A Plane

Spirit Airlines is set to start charging passengers up to $100 for the privilege of bringing a carry-on bag onto one of its flight, but passengers can lower the cost by paying in advance.

Spirit already charges for any bags brought onto one of its airliners. The new fee structure begins at $25 for a carry-on for members of the airline's $9 Fare Club, climbing to $35 if the fee is paid online, or $40 over the phone. At the ticket counter, passengers will pay $50 to carry their suitcase onto the plane, and if they wait until they get to the jetway, they'll be hit with the $100 price tag.

In a news release issued Monday, Spirit said "Unfortunately, some customers are still waiting until they reach the boarding gate to purchase their carry-on. This slows the boarding process for all customers, delays flights, increases costs for the company, and ultimately results in higher fares for everyone."

"Starting November 6, 2012, customers who wait until the last minute to pay their carry-on fee at the boarding gate will be charged $100. The $100 carry-on bag fee is intentionally set high to deter costly delay-causing gate activity. Much lower priced options are available for those who plan ahead and reserve their bags in advance with prices from as little as $20 (for a checked bag, ed.).

"Our goal is for no customer ever to pay the $100 fee," says Spirit's Chief Operating Officer Tony Lefebvre. "Spirit offers our customers multiple opportunities to avoid this unnecessary fee and save money. By planning ahead and paying for bags before getting to the boarding gate, our customers are saving time at the airport and speeding up the boarding process. When our customers choose these time-saving, self-service options, our costs go down, and we can pass those savings along to our customers."

Spirit says its "Bring Less, Pay Less" bag program passes the cost of handling bags solely to those bringing bags rather than have everyone subsidize those costs. "Customers who bring less, pay less," the news release stated. The airline says the reduced amount of baggage has saved money and helped the company conserve the equivalent of nearly six million gallons of fuel in the last year alone compared to the rate of consumption before the introduction of the program.

The airline still allows one free "personal item" that must fit under the seat in front of the passenger.

According to the Associated Press, Spirit's base fares are low, but fees make up as much as 40 percent of the airline's revenue.

FMI: http://customersupport.spirit.com/entries/21381838-how-much-does-spirit-charge-for-bags