Departing passengers collect their luggage and belongings after passing throught the security lines administered by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents at Denver International Airport (DIA). (file/UPI/Gary C. Caskey) |
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Frontier Airlines announced Wednesday it will charge passengers $100 to put carry-on bags in overhead compartments, and $2 per non-alcoholic beverage -- unless they book their tickets through the airline.
In a bid to fight discount ticket sites like Orbitz and Expedia, the Denver-based airline said that beginning this summer, passengers who buy "Basic" price-tier tickets on third-party sites will be charged $25 per piece of overhead luggage if they pay in advance while checking in online, and $100 if they pay at the airport.
"FlyFrontier.com will become the only channel through which customers will continue to enjoy free carry-on bags on all tickets," the company said in a press release, though Ascent and Summit level members of their EarlyReturns program will be exempt from the fees.
The charges will not apply to small personal items such as purses or briefcases. Low-cost ticket holders will also be charged $1.99 for previously free non-alcoholic beverages, except for water. Checked-bag fees for "Basic" and "Economy" passengers will rise to $25 for customers who pay at checkin.
The airline, owned by Republic Airways Holdings, Inc., said the changes are "part of the transformation into an Ultra Low Cost Carrier."
Most airlines now charge for checked baggage, but few currently charge for carry-ons, except low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, reports Business Insider. In October, Spirit instituted a similar $100 charge for some passengers' overhead carry-on luggage. In 2012, 14 major American airlines instituted 52 fee changes.
