Spirit charges for carry-ons?

[Dallas_Lady]

Please tell me I am mis-understanding this? They just popped up on my DFW-MCO flight search for the first time and the fare is really good, but when I went to their website to double check bag fees and it looks like it's $30 to carry a bag on? Is that right?

 

[Lewisc]

Please tell me I am mis-understanding this? They just popped up on my DFW-MCO flight search for the first time and the fare is really good, but when I went to their website to double check bag fees and it looks like it's $30 to carry a bag on? Is that right?

Correct. No charge for a personal item which fits under the seat in front of you but "bin bags" are charged.

Spirit makes money on their fees. Too many passengers were "cheating" Spirit out of checked bag fees by going with carryon bags, hence the charge.

The maximum weight for a checked bag, without paying extra, is 40 lbs. Industry standard is 50 lbs. Older bags can weigh 15-20 lbs empty.

 

[PrincessNoelle'sMom]

Standard backpacks and some duffel bags are free carry-on's all other bags have to be checked or paid for as an additional carry-on. Price it out with the fare and what you think you would bring luggage wise as far as transportation/paring at the airport. Spririt works for us, flight times are good, small airport in ACY so we use them alot. No luxuries though and no free drinks/snacks either. It is a budget airline in every sense of the word. Check them out before you book..but we like them.

 

[leelee9878]

I fly Spirit alot out of Atlantic City to Orlando because you just cant beat the price. My boyfriend and I can usually pack everything in one big suitcase, and we check that bag. Even doing that the fares work out cheaper than any other airline. For instance we just paid $114 each for RT air from NJ.

Also, I forgot how nice it was to not lug a bag around the airport/on the plane, etc. checking the bag is so nice.

 

[dahrjo]

We are deciding between alower priced Spirit flight and Southwest, which is a coiuple hundred dollars more to fly for the 5 of us. But, with the baggage fees at Spirit, I think Southwest could be the better choice. We will probably need 4 check-in bags at least for Florida for 8 days.

 

[lizabu]

They charge you for seat assignments too. That combined with the checked bags fee made me choose a different airline.

 

[The 4 "Quay"balleros]

Yeah Spirit charges for everything, but even with these fees they are still cheaper most of the time. My wife was able to "downsize" the stuff in our carry on to fit into a back back that is free to carry on. Our next in February is going to cost $610 for 5 round trip with all the fees

 

[pr surfer]

I've been flying them quite a bit lately when the fares are too cheap to say no, and my trick has been to use a camera backpack, since camera bags aren't counted in your carry-on allowance (just make sure to have a camera in there), as well as a backpack.

And in the case of FLL, where Spirit basically has their own terminal, pay attention to the spirit employees watching bag sizes just before security. When someone starts to argue with them over the bags (and this happens quite often, and given the number of times it's been about a WDW bag, I'm assuming it's some people on this message board), that's when I enter the security line.

 

[Lewisc]

I've been flying them quite a bit lately when the fares are too cheap to say no, and my trick has been to use a camera backpack, since camera bags aren't counted in your carry-on allowance (just make sure to have a camera in there), as well as a backpack.

And in the case of FLL, where Spirit basically has their own terminal, pay attention to the spirit employees watching bag sizes just before security. When someone starts to argue with them over the bags (and this happens quite often, and given the number of times it's been about a WDW bag, I'm assuming it's some people on this message board), that's when I enter the security line.

A camera doesn't count against your carryon allowance. That's clear. A bag containing only a camera, and other photo stuff, is currently not counted against your carry on allowance. I can't find the notice in Spirit's website but no question it, at least used to , makes it clear once you put anything but a camera in the bag it's subject to the carry on allowances and fees.

Spirit is the kind of airline that might start to enforce those policies with no advance notice.

You can also wear a coat with many pockets. Photographers sometimes wear those kinds of coats.

 

[lotus14]

You would be surprised how much you can get inside a bag that still fits within the personal bag dimensions. The exact dimensions are on their site. DH and I measured every bag we had to get the biggest possible one and each packed in those only for 4 days. It worked fine for us but for a longer trip or people who pack heavy, it could be a problem and cost a lot in fees. I put my purse inside the "personal item" bag so I would have it there and not be charged. Just be very aware of all your bag sizes and know their rules before going to the airport and you should be okay.

 

[JerseyGirl53]

The measurements for the "free" personal bag are 16x14x12. Some backpacks are larger than that, so make sure you measure. On my last Spirit flight it was full and they were pretty strict about personal bag size. Also, it is not a personal bag AND a handbag...one or the other. I carry a small crossbody handbag at the airport that will fit in my personal bag. Check out Spirit's website for all the particulars. I paid for a seat each way and a checked bag each way, and it was still cheaper than Southwest. Good luck.