Allegiant becomes second airline to charge for carry-on bags
Sick of all those extra airline fees? Sorry, but here comes another one.
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air is set to become the second major airlines in the U.S. to charge passengers a fee to bring carry-on luggage into a plane.
Allegiant, a low-cost airlines that flies out of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and several Florida cities, is about to introduce a fee of up to $35 per bag that would take effect Wednesday morning.
Airline President Andrew Levy announced the new fee in an email to employees last Friday, saying the changes are part of “an ongoing effort to develop an innovative, new approach to travel.”
In adopting the fee, Allegiant follows the lead of Florida-based Spirit Airlines, which was the first major airline in the U.S. in 2010 to charge a fee of up to $45 for carry-on bags that do not fit under the seat.
Although the carry-on fee earned Spirit harsh criticism from passenger groups, airline analysts noted that Spirit reported a 10% to 12% profit margin in the nine months after the fee was added, a much higher margin than most of its larger competitors.
Allegiant said the carry-on bag fee will vary by route, ranging from $10 to $35, with the highest charge for passengers who wait to pay just before boarding. As with Spirit Airlines, passengers on Allegiant will be allowed to carry smaller bags, such as briefcases, purses or laptops, for free as long as they can fit under the seat or in the passenger’s lap.
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