NEW YORK — Passengers beware: More airline fees are on their way.
Another airline is promising to change the way we fly by offering cheap base fares but then adding on a bevy of additional fees. Passengers flying Frontier Airlines will now have to pay extra to place carry-on bags in the overhead bin or for advance seat assignments.
The move comes as the Denver airline tries to transform itself into a fee-dependent carrier, similar to Spirit Airlines or Allegiant Air — the only other US carriers to charge such fees. Frontier already charges $1.99 for soda and bottled water on its flights, a fee it added on July 1. Frontier says that in exchange for these new fees, it is lowering its base fare by an average of 12 percent. The new charges apply to tickets purchased on or after Monday.
Frontier carries 8.4 million passengers a year, about 1 percent of the overall traffic flown by US airlines.
There is no indication that larger carriers like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines or United Airlines are considering such fees.
Frontier’s fee for using the overhead bin ranges from $20 for frequent fliers who book online to $50 for those who fail to pay before getting to the gate. Most will pay $25 if they check-in online; $35 if they check-in at the airport. Frontier previously only charged a fee for carry-on bags to people who booked the cheapest tickets through third-party sites like Expedia and Orbitz. Monday’s change applies to everybody except those booking the most expensive fares.
Personal items fitting under the seat remain free.
That is in addition to the $15 to $25 fliers will pay for their first checked bag.
Additionally, seat assignments now cost an extra $3 for those who buy while booking online; $8 at check-in.