Outrage update: Spirit Airlines charges $45 for carry-on bags

Would you pay $45 to bring this bag on board?

(Image credit: Corbis)

last updated 8 January 2015

Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has announced it will charge passengers up to $45 for carry-on bags—the same fee it now charges for checking a bag. Spirit described the move as "the next phase of unbundling" and claimed it would "improve inflight safety and efficiency." Not surprisingly, the move prompted derision. It's only a matter of time before Spirit starts charging you "per article of clothing," speculates Paul M at Gather.com. Luckily, there's a solution to that, he says: "Fly naked!" Rival low-cost airline JetBlue got in a dig, too, suggesting on its official blog that Spirit passengers purchase an "Extrago Sherpa Shirt," a special garment "designed to hold an entire trip's worth of necessities." The accompanying picture made it clear JetBlue's recommendation was a joke: