eddielam

I was trying to book a trip to DET from LGA... Realize Tax and Fees go up... and I doubt check what kind of fee it is... Have you guys heard of Passenger Usage Fee:$9.80????? Usage Fee???

flyerman770

"fuel surcharge"

eddielam

I don't think so...

"Passenger Usage Fee of $4.90 per traveling customer per one way travel applies to all reservations with the exception of those bookings created directly at Spirit Airlines’ airport locations. All fares are subject to change until confirmed and purchased."

If it is fuel surcharge, why it is wavie if bookings created directly at Spirit Airlines airport locations???

Mrp Alert

Allegiant does the same thing all the time and US does it on and off. Call it a ticketing fee and hope NK is still in business when it comes time for you to fly.

flyerman770

After a couple of months that this fee has disappeared (after pressure). Spirit has suddenly re-introduced it today. making the total taxes and fees for a r/t ticket dtw-lga at 31 dollars.

a330300

Pretty much a blend of other airlines' phone reservations fees and convenience fees. You can still avoid the fee by purchasing at the ticket counter.

N830MH

Nope, I don't really think so. Because NK wants to be charges the fees is little bit more expensive. I'm sure if you will continues try to do bookable the ticket. You will be alright for awhile.

agl120854

Ridiculous. The answer is to have a no usage charge...dont use them.

NK_Flyer

NK will still be in business. As you said Allegiant does the same thing. To avoid it buy your tickets at the ticket counter....do I agree with it NO!!!! But it is what it is, yes we will still be in business!!!!

RustyC

This is egregious.

The way it is "disclosed" is in the breakout under the taxes & fees. You get a listing like:

Passenger Civil Security Fee 5.00
Passenger Facility Fee 9.00
Passenger Usage Fee 9.80
Segment Fee 7.20

By the name and the placement they're trying to make it look like a government-imposed tax, when it's not.

This mimics a "worst practice" of certain LCCs globally like Tiger Airways that similarly hide airline-imposed fees in with taxes. The worst of the worst don't even provide a breakout. This falls somewhere between Air Asia (bundled, but better truth in labeling) and Tiger (no breakout at all).

I think we all realize that the fee is a money grab by Spirit, and maybe they can't sell tickets for $8 or $9 or whatever it is this week because too many people aren't paying the baggage/seat fees, their costs are up or any number of other reasons why they need more money to provide the service. That much is understandable (much as some might try to argue the straw man, anyway).

But the WAY they're going about this is patently deceptive and frankly it should be made illegal to "bundle" privately imposed fees with taxes. Doing so gives people a misimpression of how much the taxes really are (though the "real" taxes are still substantial), and also makes the fares look more and more like bait and switch.

The "honorable" thing for Spirit to do would be to raise the fare by $5 per segment. $8 sales become $13 sales, and so on. Instead they're taking the low road, using a very questionable practice that should be below the standards they should set for themselves. If companies do this sort of thing (like Priceline, or Tiger) and get away with it, it tends to drag down the standards of the whole industry (i.e. the dark side of competition).

RustyC

Yeah, good luck getting one of the $9 fare club fares on a high-demand day (like weekends) via the ticket counter. A sale might be posted at midnight and some days sold out within minutes.

ClimbGuy

$9 sale tickets and most other promos like $35 off for 35 hours are only valid online. So you have no option to avoid the fee.

The concept of LCC fees should be to encourage people to use the cheapest way possible, which is booking online. this will try some pax to book tickets at the airport.

I would rather NK impose an airport check in fee. This is something that anyone who knows the rules can avoid. Yet it collects revenue for the airline from those who don't which helps to keep ticket prices low.

gsupstate

Why can't these idiotic companies just average out whatever cost they think they're recovering with these fees, and just add it to the base fare????

jgomez65

It is actually an extra fee that Spirit is charging for the "right" to purchase a ticket.
The DOL gave them the green light for the fee as long as they don't charge it at the airport point of sale (purchase directly at the airport ticket counter)

Here is an article about this:

http://www.placesandtrips.com/2009/0...hase-a-ticket/

sanFF

They are geting an unfair advantage of fare advertising
ie. SAN-LAS advertised for $39 while YN has it at $49 and both are actually the same fare total when you check out with all the fees.