Which Was The First Major Airline To Start Charging For Carry

Baggage fees can seriously raise travel costs when flying with low-cost-carriers.

In 2010, Spirit Airlines became the first major US airline to introduce fees for full-sized carry-on baggage, disappointing many who thought the carrier's new charge was unjustified. Others followed suit, and today most low-cost carriers charge for carry-on luggage.

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In some cases, legacy carriers even charge passengers for bringing carry-on baggage aboard. In other circumstances, some passengers are prohibited from bringing carry-on luggage aboard and will be charged a fee to check baggage if brought to the gate. Such is true of travelers flying on United Airlines' most basic economy tickets.

While many may initially think that charging for carry-on bags is just another way for airlines to make money (though this is, in fact, true), the practice also decreases ticket prices. Not bringing carry-on bags lightens an aircraft's load, thus saving fuel and, ultimately, money, which can be passed on to the consumer.

Furthermore, most aircraft do not have enough overhead bin space to accommodate all passengers' bags, leading many bags to be gate checked. Notably, the logistics of gate-checking so many bags often lead to delays, and as such, requiring payment for a carry-on bag can help improve on-time performance.

Prices for bringing a piece of carry-on baggage onboard can vary significantly by carrier. Furthermore, in the booking/check-in process, if a passenger indicates they will be carrying the luggage onboard, the fee will ultimately be affected.

Spirit Airlines, the first carrier to charge for carry-on baggage, charges a full $99 if a passenger brings carry-on baggage to the gate. While the price for a carry-on drops to only $60 at booking, given some very inexpensive fares depending on the route, this price can drastically increase the total cost of flying.

Fellow ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines nearly matches Spirit's prices at the gate, charging $79 for a passenger to register a carry-on at the check-in counter. At booking, however, Frontier charges a lower fee of $53. Allegiant charges somewhat lower prices: $75 at the gate but between $15 and $50 at booking, depending on the route. Breeze Airways charges $29 for a carry-on for most tickets, regardless of when the passenger indicates they will bring a bag onboard.

Not all low-cost carriers charge passengers to bring carry-ons. Southwest Airlines notably doesn't, and further doesn't charge passengers for the first two checked bags they bring onboard. For passengers flying on JetBlue and United's basic economy tickets, bringing a carry-on bag to the gate will result in the luggage being checked, incurring a $30 fee on United and $35 for JetBlue.

For passengers, these incredibly high fees are significant to note. After all, a $60 charge can quickly convert a $40 ticket into a $100 ticket, which could be much higher than a different ticket a passenger could purchase. Prospective travelers must include all baggage costs when selecting the best flight.

Alexander (Alex) Mitchell, an Applied Mathematics and Economics student at Brown University, has maintained a lifelong passion for aviation. Mitchell aims to enter the field of strategy consulting with a specialty in commercial aviation. Based out of Providence, Rhode Island, USA.