Two Senate Bills Aim To End Carry-On Fees

A U.S. Senate bill to prohibit airlines from charging fees for carry-on bags was introduced Tuesday by Democrats Benjamin Cardin of Maryland and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.  The pair said they were motivated primarily by health and safety concerns since people often need carry-ons to store medicine and other personal items.

So far Spirit is the only airline that has announced plans to charge for carry-on bags, and company spokesperson Misty Pinson says Spirit is “reaching out” to the Senate to “clarify information that has been misrepresented in the media.”  Spirit would only charge for carry-ons that have to go in the overhead compartments.  There would be no charge for anything that fits beneath the seat or contains medicine, nor would they charge for canes, walkers and other health-related devices.  Spirit plans to implement the new fees on August 1, and to lower base fares by a similar amount.

However, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York sees the new fees and the lowering of base fares as just a way for airlines to avoid paying taxes.  Schumer and five other Senators introduced a separate bill on Wednesday to take away the tax incentive for airlines to charge additional fees.  “For every dollar they bilk out of consumers in the form of fees, 100% of those fees go to padding the airlines’ bottom line,” Schumer said.

The Daily News Mouth of the Potomac blog points out that New York’s senior senator usually takes Amtrak.  Still Schumer, like many senators, sees the carry-on issue as a tipping point:

We’re fed up with airlines that nickel and dime passengers when if comes to meals, pillows, luggage, legroom, and we’re here today to say enough. Spirit Airways crossed the line, and we know what’s happening. The other airlines are looking and waiting and seeing, and if Spirit’s implementation of the fees for carry-on baggage doesn’t raise much of an outcry, they’ll do the same thing.

Spirit argues their plan will speed up security lines and allow passengers to board and exit planes faster.

[Image: Miller, Daily News]