iahphx

I am never shocked by how little infrequent flyers know about airline rules. That said, if you bought your ticket directly FROM Spirit, you would have to be pretty clueless not to know the baggage rules. They are clearly explained on the website (both when you buy the ticket and if you check-in online -- and, like ryanair, they also send me a reminder email!).

But Spirit also uses other distribution channels, like the CRS. I just checked Orbitz and the unique Spirit bag rules are also spelled out clearly on Orbitz before you buy. But maybe other agencies are still less clear in the interface.

While I don't think that Spirit's specific baggage policies are likely to catch-on, I also don't think they're a bad thing for the industry. A la carte pricing really does allow pax to buy what they need, and airlines to keep base fares reasonable. The folks who are bellyaching about how "abusive" the practice is are foolish. For example, there's little doubt that Southwest's increasingly higher fares would be cheaper if bags didn't "fly free." I would welcome this: I'm good with a rollerboard and a backpack -- I'm not likely to be checking bags. At least Spirit gives me the option of getting lower fares to save money, while Southwest chooses to market a product that many frequent flyers don't want or need.