This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. After all, the company has previously stated that they were looking in to the possibility and that they might do it. Still, seeing it actually happen is news. And the news is that Allegiant will be charging for carry-on bags starting with tickets purchased on April 4, 2012. The company has not published this update to their website listing of fees yet but they have confirmed through a number of sources, including AirlineReporter.com, that the change is coming. They will be posting full details online late Tuesday night when the change actually goes into effect. Similar to Spirit Air the fees will apply to any bag larger than 7″ x 15″ x 16″ and it will be discounted online in advance with the fee at the airport expected to be $35.
With cost increases out-pacing revenue in many cases still (see Pinnacle’s bankruptcy filing this morning as yet another example) the airlines are struggling to find revenue anywhere they can, and bags is an easy target. Plus, bag fees are exempt from some taxes that other costs aren’t so the companies love them even more. Still, they risk frustrating customers with all the add-ons and losing the business in the long run. Then again, with their route network and often offering the only service in some point-to-point markets perhaps they think they can afford it.
This will definitely be another interesting development to watch.
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