What Is The True Cost Of An Airline Ticket? How to save $40,000 a Year

My sister-in-law, Maria, knows I will be flying to Las Vegas in December so she sent me an
 email that showed a price of $60 round trip from Los Angeles. The airfare was for Spirit airlines.  I will be upfront with my readers...I am not a fan of Spirit airline.

In January of this year the Department of Transportation (DOT) implemented rules that require airline advertising to show the total price for an airline ticket.  That means the fare you see must include taxes and fees.  Now when you look at a fare you should be able to compare "apples to apples."  Or can you?  The problem is the fare you see doesn't have to include "extra" fees, e.g., baggage. 

The DOT showed its power by enforcing the rule.  The DOT assessed Travelocity a $180,000 fine for sometimes failing to include taxes and fees in its flexible fare-finder tool.  The DOT even went after a mom and pop travel company and fined them $20,000 for putting an asterisk by the price.  The asterisk indicated taxes and fees were additional.

So if $60 is the price as required by the DOT why do I dislike Spirit? I don't like all their extra fees they are not required to disclose. Spirit charges for carry-on luggage.  You read that correctly, carry-on luggage.  These days almost all airlines, with the exception of Jet Blue and Southwest, charge for checked luggage.  But to charge for carry-on luggage, come on Spirit, who are you kidding?  This is just another way to hide the true price.  Carry-on luggage would have added an additional $60 ($30 each way) to my ticket purchase.  Effective November 6, 2012 the carry-on luggage price is being raised to $35 each way. Don't even think of paying for your carry-on luggage at the airport, this raises the price to $45 each way and effective November 6, 2012, for carry-on luggage checked at the airport the fee is being raised to $100.  But there's more... If you print your boarding pass at the airport kiosk there is a $2.00 fee and if the airport gate agent needs to print your boarding pass that is $5.00 additional.  If I want to let Spirit randomly choose my seat it is free.  If I want to choose my seat the cost ranges between $5-15 each way.  If you don't like the person you are traveling with random seating might be fine but I don't like the idea of having to pay in order to sit next to my traveling partner.

I guess I should be glad that Spirit didn't follow in the footsteps of Ryanair who at one time proposed  charging passengers for use of the toilet.

Thought my readers might get a kick out of the below comic making fun of Ryanair.

American Airlines removed what item from its salad in order to save $40,000 a year?

A. Crouton
B. Olive
C. Baby Carrot
D. Almond

(See tomorrow's blog for the answer)