While this blog is dedicated to the cruise industry, the undeniable fact is that the majority of cruise passengers have to get to their ports of embarkation somehow. For many travelers, that means a trip to the airport and a lesson in the ever-changing rules of flight.
What had long been joked about finally happened today when Florida-based Spirit Airlines announced - in the form of a press release with an obscure title - that it would begin charging passengers for carry-on baggage for bookings made today for travel on or after August 1st.
On that magical day, passengers will be charged $45 per carry-on item at the airport, or $30 if you pre-register online with Spirit before your flight. If you're a member of their $9 Fare Club - which ironically costs $39.95 to join - your price per carry-on item reduces to $20.
To the carrier's credit, you are still allowed to take one small bag onboard - as long as it fits under your seat and measures no more than 16x14x12". Small camera bags, purses, umbrellas, and "food for personal consumption" are also allowed at no charge.
Here's where things get a little nutty: along with this new fare structure comes a revised pre-boarding procedure. Those who have paid for carry-on baggage will be boarded first, regardless of location in the aircraft, leaving the rest of the passengers in the terminal. This will allow the airline to make sure no one gets around the new rule, and allows agents to take payment at the gate.
The airline also charges for regular baggage - up to $45 for the first bag, up to $30 for the second bag, and up to $90 for the third to fifth bag.
Airlines call this "unbundling" - the process of removing formerly included items from your ticket fare in order to reduce overall pricing. Of course, most passengers need to have luggage with them - and might even want a drink or snack on a 5+ hour flight - leaving passengers with a reduced fare, but facing a long list of items carrying an additional charge that they'll have to pony up for. Luggage, pillows, blankets, drinks, snacks, meals, entertainment - it's all up for grabs.
With this latest move, Spirit plants themselves firmly in territory pioneered by Dublin-based Ryanair which has created a slew of controversies for itself - the most recent being a plan to begin charging customers to use the onboard restroom.
So we were curious - even with these extra charges, is Spirit really the least-expensive carrier, as it claims?
We compared flights from Los Angeles to New York City - departing Thursday, May 6 and returning Thursday, May 13 - on both Spirit and JetBlue, for one traveler with one piece of luggage and one carry-on.
Spirit:
Fare: $372.70 USD for a connecting roundtrip flight (no direct offered).
Additions: $90 (1 luggage, 1 carry-on)
Total Fare: $462.70 USD
JetBlue:
Fare: $319.40 for a direct flight.
Additions: $0 (no charge for first bag or carry-on)
Total Fare: $319.40 USD
Total difference in price: $143.30
While this is just one example, the moral of the story is: research, compare, purchase. The cheapest upfront fare may cost you more in the long run.
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