Posted Aug 1st 2010 6:30PM by Scott Carmichael

Filed under: Airlines

Today is the day that Spirit Airlines implements its new pay-to-carry-on baggage rule. The change was announced back in April, and even a grilling by Congress has not been enough to make them change their mind.

What this means to Spirit passengers is simple - if you arrive at the airport with carry-on baggage, and you did not pre-pay, you'll be charged $45 for a single bag in the overhead compartment. Exceptions are made for the following items:

Umbrella, Camera, Infant Diaper Bag, Assistive Devices, Outer Garments (Coats/Hats/Wraps), Car Seat/Stroller, Reading Material, Food for the flight

So - if you make the mistake of showing up for your flight with a bunch of bags, you'll easily burn through a nice chunk of your vacation money, long before you even arrive at your destination. As usual with airline fees, Spirit claims they lowered all their ticket prices to offset these new charges. If you fly Spirit, now may be the time to invest in a Scottevest jacket.

The entire Spirit Airlines baggage policy is described on their site.

Tags: spirit airlines, SpiritAirlines