2nd airline charges for carry-on bags

As if flying wasn't expensive enough, a second U.S. airline has announced plans to charge a fee for carry-on bags.

Beginning Wednesday, Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air will charge up to $35 for a carry-on. One small  "personal item" that can fit under a seat will be allowed without an extra charge, according to news reports.

Jessica Wheeler, public relations manager for Allegiant, told AirlineReporter.com that the new fee will be announced on the airline's website Tuesday evening. "Allegiant will begin charging for carry-ons for travelers booking new reservations beginning Wednesday," she said. (Post continues below.)

AirlineReporter.com said the information came from an internal employee memo. The website said:

Passengers will be allowed one free personal item (purse, briefcase, laptop), but anything larger will require the carry-on bag fee. Paying for the carry-on at the airport will run you $35, but buying online will save you some money. Allegiant has not confirmed how much the fee will cost if purchased in advance, but inside sources have explained that they expect it to be between $14.99 and 29.99 -- which matches Allegiant's checked bag fees. The difference in price is route-specific and depends on the length of the flight flown.

Spirit Airlines in April 2010 became the first U.S. carrier to start charging for carry-on bags. Spirit's carry-on fees range from $20 when paid online at the time of booking to $40 when paid at the airport counter, according to the airline's "Optional Fees" page.

Both Spirit and Allegiant are so-called "ultra low-cost carriers" linking U.S. cities to vacation destinations. Allegiant serves 77 cities in the U.S.

Only two airlines still allow you to check bags without paying an extra fee: Southwest, which lets you check two bags, and JetBlue, which allows one free checked bag per passenger.

Paying for luggage, one way or another

Some will probably complain that charging for carry-ons is unfair, but I'm hoping it will make flying a little more comfortable.

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When most airlines started charging fees for checked baggage in 2008, many passengers responded by simply rolling their full-sized luggage onto the plane, ignoring the posted limits for carry-on bags -- or so it seemed to people like me who followed the rules about carrying bags that easily fit into the overhead bins. Instead, we often ended up cramming our bags under the seat (leaving no room for our feet) when all of the bins were full. The upside, of course, was that it didn't take nearly as long to collect suitcases from baggage claim.

Two years later, to accommodate the rush of passengers carrying on all of their luggage, airlines began offering the option of early boarding for a fee. And now several airlines are increasing the size of overhead bins.

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