Allegiant to Charge for Carry-on Bags

Has Spirit started a disturbing trend? Beginning April 4, Allegiant will impose a hefty fee for carry-on bags.

The carrier will charge $35 for the “privilege” of carting a suitcase on a plane and stuffing it into an overhead bin. But it’s cheaper if you plan ahead. According to an Allegiant spokesperson, “If purchased online at time of reservation purchase, carry-on bags will be $10 to $30, route specific, though the majority of markets will be $15 or less.”

The carry-on surcharge only applies to new bookings as of tomorrow. So if you’ve already bought a ticket with Allegiant, it looks like you’re in the clear.

But going forward, Allegiant flyers will have to pay the 35-buck toll for carry-on bags that won’t fit under the seat in front of them. So a purse, lunch bag, or wallet may be carted on the plane for free … at least, for the time being. Let’s not give the airlines any ideas.

This makes two carriers that have issued fees for having any luggage at all, whether it’s checked or brought onboard. (Spirit already charges $45 per carry-on bag.)

Toting luggage is not a perk. It’s a virtually unavoidable part of air travel—like using the bathroom or having a seatbelt. Allegiant’s new baggage fee leads us to wonder—or dread—what fees will come next.

Do you think Allegiant has gone too far?

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