Warning about Spirit Air/Luggage

[hammybee]

From the X board:

Careful Of Booking Spirit Airlines

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As of tomorrow,( for new ticket purchases) Spirit will allow only 1 checked piece per person and to top this you need to pay for this piece of luggage!!! You can see if their is room on the plane to pay for a second checked piece(also to be paid for) but they will not be responsible if it needs to be left behind..

[twinkletoes4445]

It will be interesting to see how long they stay in business. I suppose if you are flying with them, and you know you're only going to check one piece of luggage, it would be fine to take this airline. However, I can't imagine anyone going to the airport with two pieces of luggage and not knowing if they will both be checked through.

What are they going to do??? Spin the wheel of fortune and see who gets lucky and gets to bring along ALL their luggage? Or the wheel of misfortune, if you're not allowed to take along your second piece of luggage.

What they are probably going to do is start selling space to more commercial customers, and if there's enough extra space left over, the actual passengers on the flight will get to use the extra space for their second piece of luggage that the airline hadn't sold. How generous of Spirit.

I hope they go belly-up. It will serve them right.

[hammybee]

Right now, I can book a R/T flight from ORD to Fort Meyers on 9/18 for 2 cents, plus taxes. I guess it's OK if they charge me more for my luggage. :)

[twinkletoes4445]

Right now, I can book a R/T flight from ORD to Fort Meyers on 9/18 for 2 cents, plus taxes. I guess it's OK if they charge me more for my luggage. :)

It's fine if you don't have luggage issues. But who would use them if you don't have a guarantee that you can get two pieces of luggage on their plane? I wouldn't. I might it I had only a carry-on, or one checked, but not if I had more. They certainly are going to lose a lot of customers with that logic, but if you can get a flight for 2 cents...and you don't have but one piece of luggage, then that's a heck of deal!

2 cents??? Wow...how did that come about?

[Grumpy1]

I just checked the Spirit website. The extra charge for the first bag doesn't go into effect until June 20. Until then, they will still check one bag at no charge.

After June 20, there will be a $5 charge for a checked bag if booked on the web, $10 at the airport. Their website is supposed to offer 2nd bag check advance purchase at the same rate, which should guarantee you the right to check the second bag.

[Grumpy1]

Right now, I can book a R/T flight from ORD to Fort Meyers on 9/18 for 2 cents, plus taxes. I guess it's OK if they charge me more for my luggage. :)$.02 for the flight, $5 for the first bag and another $5 for the second bag, total $10.02. Dayum, flying is sure getting expensive these days.

[noblepa]

I heard a story on NPR a couple of months ago, in which they were saying that several airlines, including some of the biggest, like United and American, were thinking about doing this as well.

Over the years, we've seen just about ALL airlines cut back on everything they offer in the way of amenities, either eliminating them altogether or charging for them. The airlines thinking is that this is just another expense that they can reduce.

There are some people, especially on shorter flights, who don't check any luggage at all, yet the fare they pay factors in *some* amount for carrying luggage. The idea is that those who make use of a service should be the ones to pay for it.

Personally, I don't like the idea, but if the charge is only $5, I can live with it. However, if they start charging $5 and find that they don't lose business, it will soon be $25 or more.

Its sort of like what happened with cable tv. When they started, ALL cable channels were touted as being commercial-free. Then they found that people would accept commercials on the basic cable channels. Only the premium channels didn't have them. Now, even the premium, extra-fee channels have commercials.

[Stevesan]

It's all remindful of Bob Newhart's Grace L Ferguson Airline and Storm Door Company.:p

My favorites:

Weighing your luggage in Mrs Ferguson's upstairs bathroom, then riding to the airport in her VW.

After boarding, the pilot tells pax the airline can have such low fares because they did away with some of the frills and extras such as Radar.

The flight is to Hawaii. At the end the pilot gets on the PA and queries, "Hawaii is kind of lyre shaped, isn't it?".

It's no longer such a fantasy!

[kryos]

It will be interesting to see how long they stay in business.
Actually, I think they will be fine because many other airlines will be going to similar policies over the next year. That's how the airlines are gonna pull themselves out of this profit slump they've been in. They can't raise fares ... because if one airline does that, no one will fly them. They can't all get together and agree to raise fares, because that's price fixing. So they have to come up with other ways to improve their bottom line. This seems to be just the ticket. Some overseas airlines are already doing it. Allow each passenger one checked bag. Period. If they want to check a second one, they are gonna pay ... $50 to $75 to as much as $100 depending upon the weight. Now, you've got a passenger with a discount ticket of maybe $200 for a flight from the Northeast part of the country to, say Florida. But when you consider that the passenger needs to bring two bags because he's going on a two-week cruise, now you collect as much as an extra $200 from him ($100 each way) for the extra bag. Now his ticket is right back up there where it was in the "good old days" ... $400+. Airlines' profit figures are looking better already.

VeniceCruiser and I ran into this same problem with British Midland Air for our cruise coming up in a couple of weeks. We get off the Veendam in Venice and then the next afternoon have to fly to London in order to get the QE2 at Southampton for the trip home. Of course, for an 18-day cruise on the Veendam and a TransAtlantic crossing on the QE2, there is no way either of us could restrict our packing to one bag. So, like it or not, we're both gonna be paying about another $100 bucks for a second checked bag. Thankfully, we only have to pay it one way, but still it's a $100 bucks more than we thought we'd have to spend. To make matters worse, BMI only allows one piece of baggage in the cabin ... not one personal item and one bag like flights here in the U.S. So, if you're planning to travel with your laptop, you'd better be able to fit that computer into your one allotted carry-on with everything else, otherwise you're gonna be checking yet a third bag ... and an expensive computer at that.

Believe me, we're all gonna be traveling lighter by next year ... like it or not. Those self-service laundries on the ships are gonna be crowded, that's for sure ... cause everyone is gonna be doing a load or two of laundry ... like every other day. Even the Vista ships will probably eventually get self-service laundries. Why? Because we will balk at paying for extra baggage and will therefore find a way to get everything in one bag that meets the weight limits. We'll just pack far more carefully, taking only what is ABSOLUTELY necessary. Why do you think the formal dress codes are already being eased on HAL? No way will people drag formalwear along on a cruise. It takes up far too much room in the suitcase, room that could be used for more necessary things. On formal night, you'll be lucky to see maybe one table in ten in the dining room with people sitting at it. Everyone else will be jamming up in the Lido with their casual clothes, and then wearing them right into the shows and lounges after dinner. No one will say a word about it because many people will be dressed casually in those venues.

All airlines will be restricting baggage and probably before the end of the year. After all, with less baggage in the hold, that's more seats that can be crammed into the cabin ... more passengers that can be accommodated on a flight. It translates directly into dollars. So, the way I see it ... Spirit is just taking the initiative to be one of the first to institute this baggage policy, others will soon follow.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[hammybee]

Believe me, all airlines will be doing this and probably before the end of the year. Spirit is just taking the initiative to be one of the first.

Blue skies ...--rita

Deregulation enabled discount airlines to enter the market. The discounters did not have the so-called baggage of history, unions, pensions, legacy routes, premium gates and terminals or service levels and were able to offer substantially lower fares than the mainstream carriers.

And they found out that pax did not care about things like meals, inflight service, roomy seats as much as they wanted cheap flights. Pax certainly did not care about sustaining the incomes or benefits of airline employees. In other words, the market determined what really mattered and the mainstream carriers have been playing catch up ever since.

This is not too disimilar to whats been happening to cruising over the past 20 years or so. Some refer to it as the Carnivalization of cruising when in reality, the market determines what's important, not a carrier, air or cruise line.
Everything sells for as much as the market will bear, unless it is subsidized by tax dollars.

And there remains the level of service and comfort and then some that used to exist and it can be found in true first class air cabins and luxury cruise lines. All we have to do is be able and willing to pay for it.

[kryos]

And there remains the level of service and comfort and then some that used to exist and it can be found in true first class air cabins and luxury cruise lines. All we have to do is be able and willing to pay for it.
Exactly. And most will not be willing to pay for it or perhaps can't. So they will adapt to the new baggage rules and make do. The airlines will be fine despite these new baggage regulations.

Don't forget too that one of the things that destroyed the airlines is the increase in our ability to tele-conference. There was a time when the airlines' primary source of revenue was not the leisure traveler, but rather the business traveler. Companies thought nothing of sending a group of their managers or executives on a jaunt from the east coast to a west coast city for a business meeting ... and some even allowed them to travel business class if the flight were over a certain number of hours. Today, that same meeting would raise eyebrows on the executive corridor and it would have to be fully justified before anyone would be allowed to go ... and it certainly wouldn't be a group. It would be one or two representatives and that's it. Better still, perhaps the meeting would be held via video conferencing, eliminating the necessity for anyone to even go near an airport.

The airlines today are not getting the business traveler like they used to. So, they must rely on the leisure traveler as their bread and butter. Many of your leisure travelers are on a budget ... a strict one ... and will not pay high prices for tickets. They'd sooner stay home or find another vacation alternative that doesn't require flying. So, low cost air tickets will be the norm from here on out ... and the passenger will just have to put up with the cost-cutting measures that the airlines need to put in place in order to survive. These include limits on baggage and the elimination of all luxuries in a standard coach seat. We'll adapt ... we'll live.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[hammybee]

I used to be a frequent business flyer and at the time, I was paying about $100 for every mile flown. Today I can fly the same route, same mainstream carrier, without the need for a Saturday nite stay over for about $25 per 100 miles. And I can do this despite that fuel costs have multiplied many times over.

I find it remarkable that the air carriers have been able to do this and just hope that some day I am not paying per pound for my own travel, regardless of the luggage situation. :)

[jhannah]

I think the government should do whatever it takes to strengthen our rail system so we could return to the days of dependable train travel.

[noblepa]

I think the government should do whatever it takes to strengthen our rail system so we could return to the days of dependable train travel.

I'm a life-long train buff. My father worked for the Pennsylvania RR for thirty years. I even worked for the PennCentral for a summer in college (I was a fireman on a diesel locomotive).

But, that ain't gonna happen. Most people travel in order to get somewhere, not for the pleasure of the trip. This is especially true with cross-country trips. Who would take a four-day trip from New York to Los Angeles, when a five hour flight will do it for less money? The railroads don't want passenger traffic. It gets in the way of their bread and butter, freight. A 100 ton hopper car full of coal doesn't require food, bathrooms or other facilities.

As for the airlines, time and again, studies have shown that, as much as people complain about the lack of amenities on the airlines, about 99.9% of travelers choose the flight that gets them where they want to go at about the right time, for the absolute cheapest fare. And "about the right time" is a much more flexible concept than "cheapest fare". People will fly in the middle of the night, a day or two early or whatever it takes to save $50 on a flight. That's why websites like Orbitz and Travelocity are so successful.

[kryos]

But, that ain't gonna happen. Most people travel in order to get somewhere, not for the pleasure of the trip. This is especially true with cross-country trips. Who would take a four-day trip from New York to Los Angeles, when a five hour flight will do it for less money?
Trust me, if I had the time, I would.

The problem is, though, that most of us don't have the time for a four-day train trip each way. We need to get to a destination ... a cruise, whatever ... so we fly to get there quickly. So, unless we are retired with tons of time on our hands, the train is usually not an option. We fly simply because it gets us there and doesn't require close to an extra two weeks of vacation time to do it.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[hammybee]

I used to be a frequent business flyer and at the time, I was paying about $100 for every mile flown. Today I can fly the same route, same mainstream carrier, without the need for a Saturday nite stay over for about $25 per 100 miles. And I can do this despite that fuel costs have multiplied many times over.

I find it remarkable that the air carriers have been able to do this and just hope that some day I am not paying per pound for my own travel, regardless of the luggage situation. :)

Too late to edit my own post and this makes absolutely no sense. I meant $1 for every mile flown then, as opposed to 25 cents per mile now.

[jerseygirl3]

I don't have an issue with paying the $5/bag. The issue I have is that they will not guarantee allowing the second bag on. As for purchasing it ahead of time on their website, yes, that is true. You can purchase it, but they still don't guarantee that the second bag will be allowed on until check-in. At that point, what are you supposed to do with the second bag if they won't take it? I'm sorry, but I just cannot pack enough for a 2-3 week vacation in one bag that weighs less than 50 lbs.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I heard the report about this only this morning. According to the "Today" Show, the THIRD bag will be $100.

However, the airfare itself has been cut drastically. They showed comparable examples and it was half of other airlines. I'm all for this! :D They're going to charge for soft drinks, snacks, food. Fine with me!!!

Where else do you get free Cokes anyway??? I rode trains for years from NYC to Boston and never once got a free Coke or anything else. We haven't had anything fancy on airlines for years so if they want to charge me less for the airfare, but add on for snacks, luggage and beverages I say go for it. When I want a cheap flight, I'll pack light.

I like paying for what I need and nothing more. I only wish Spririt flew somewhere I want to go!:)

[hammybee]

I
I like paying for what I need and nothing more. I only wish Spririt flew somewhere I want to go!:)

You could always visit me in the greater Chicagoland area :) My grill is under a 3.5' snow drift, but what the heck, in 13 days it's spring.

[jerseygirl3]

Heather, before you get too excited, Spirit is notorious for advertising low fares, but when you try to actually book them, they are much higher. It is almost impossible to determine whether they have actually lowered their fares, because like all the airlines, on any given day, on a moment to moment basis, the fares change. It would be like comparing apples to oranges. I've been a loyal customer of Spirit's since their inception in the early 90's, but they will be losing a long-time customer with these new tactics. They make it look like they are giving the customer a good deal, when in reality, they are sucker punching us. Spirit Plus (Spirit's version of first class) has now undergone a name change to "Big Front Seats," i.e., no more free drinks, no snacks, etc. So they charge the same, but lose perks. Don't think for one moment that Spirit is catering to their customers or doing something good for their customers out of the goodness of their hearts. They are in this to make money to pay for the new fleet of planes they purchased and their tactics will surely cause them to lose loyal customers.

[twinkletoes4445]

Personally, I don't like the idea, but if the charge is only $5, I can live with it. However, if they start charging $5 and find that they don't lose business, it will soon be $25 or more.

I don't care if they charge me for the luggage (but I'd rather they not), but I want to make sure I will be able to check two bags. There are some trips that we travel with one, but others that we each have two or one of us has two.

[skyedoggie]

Our favorite SpiritAirlines story was when DH was stuck behind a pax who insisted in pressing back his chair into DH's lap! The flight attendant did her best to persuade this guy to get his seat off of DH legs but to no avail. Later when it was time for the free coke and pretzels the tray had to be physically attached to DH's seat. That plane must have been built in 60's. Anyway, I don't know how to pack light! I guess we won't be flying Spirit again for sure!.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I'm sure you're right, JerseyGirl, because we see this stuff all the time. Or they start it low to make it enticing and then bump it up as time goes on. Just for fun, I went to the website and they don't fly where I'm going when I want to go so it's out for me anyway.

We never travel with more than one carry-on and one checked bag each (most of the time no checked bags) so that part isn't an issue for us.

I do remember, though, hearing that this is the wave of the future for all airlines ... charging for luggage (amounts increasing the more you bring). So this may just be the tip of the iceberg.

To be fair, though, I think flying is unbelievably cheap for the most part. My next flight from here to New England area is only $67 one way (including all fees and taxes). This fare is not always this low, but you have to wonder how they can even do that one time. We barely get a nice dinner for 2 for that amount.

Flying these days (as opposed to "back in the day") is very reasonable considering how far you're going in how little time.

[jerseygirl3]

Our favorite SpiritAirlines story was when DH was stuck behind a pax who insisted in pressing back his chair into DH's lap! The flight attendant did her best to persuade this guy to get his seat off of DH legs but to no avail. Later when it was time for the free coke and pretzels the tray had to be physically attached to DH's seat. That plane must have been built in 60's. Anyway, I don't know how to pack light! I guess we won't be flying Spirit again for sure!.

I encountered much the same thing, and from that point I, we started booking Spirit Plus. I get anxious flying to begin with, and with the person in front of me practically sitting their head in my lap, I couldn't take it. I find I'm much more relaxed with more seat room in front of me. So even though we're losing the perks, the bigger seats are a plus.

As far as paying for luggage, I don't mind paying the 5 bucks. But like you, I find it hard to pack light (especially for a 2-3 week vacation), so not being guaranteed I'd get that second piece of luggage on will be a deal breaker.

BTW, how's the puppy doing?

[kryos]

So even though we're losing the perks, the bigger seats are a plus.

To me, the added leg room and the bigger seat are the perks. I could care less if they give me a meal or a drink. Airline food stinks anyway ... I doubt it is much better in first class than it is in coach.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Opinions]

Heather, before you get too excited, Spirit is notorious for advertising low fares, but when you try to actually book them, they are much higher.

On one of their sales we had no trouble booking...From Atlantic City to Myrtle beach round trip it was a total of $45 for two...This included all taxes...Of course you have to be fast and determined...But it can be done.