It was the fee increase heard around the world.
An announcement by Spirit Airlines that it would charge $45 for carry-on luggage has set the travel world ablaze with speculation:
What's next for airline passengers?
More fees? Higher fees? Smaller carry-ons? Universal luggage sizes? And will Congress step in?
Since cash-strapped airlines started charging for most checked bags in 2008, they have raked in about $3 billion in baggage fees. The extra charges are just one element of a la carte pricing, in which passengers pay for food, drinks, even a pillow or blanket.
Airlines say the strategy keeps fares in check, but the baggage fees have been blamed for passengers stuffing as much as they can into the overhead bins, which slows down boarding and frustrates flight attendants, who have to play luggage cops.
"There's been a huge increase in carry-on luggage," said Jeff Jones, a Kansas City computer consultant who flew more than 100,000 miles last year. "The bins are just full. It takes a lot longer to board flights. People tend to be a little more grumpy, I think."
And now comes a little airline with 29 jets charging for carry-ons, causing squeals of outrage on Capitol Hill.
Read the complete story at kansascity.com
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