With many airlines now charging a fee for checked baggage, the next step has now arrived.
Spirit Airlines announced Tuesday that it will charge its patrons $20 to $45 for objects they place in the overhead bins.
The fee depends on if passengers are members in the airline’s ultra-low fare club and whether they reserve their carry-on bag in advance.
Passengers will still be able to carry-on one personal item that fits under a seat for free, such as a briefcase or laptop computer. They also won’t have to pay extra for things such as diaper bags, animal crates and cameras.
Spirit’s new fee is effective for reservations made after April 5, 2010 for travel beginning August 1, 2010. Although it’s already amongst the airlines that charge for checked bags, the ultra-low-cost carrier is the first carrier in the United States to apply a charge for carry-ons.
Spirit is headquartered in Miramar, Florida and flies to destinations throughout the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America. They say they can keep costs low by starting with the lowest fares and asking passengers to pay only for the discretionary services they would like.