George C. Ford, CR Gazette –
Allegiant Air, which serves The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, will start charging up to $35 for a carry-on bag beginning Wednesday, April 4.
The Las Vegas-based airline, which primarily carries leisure travelers, will be the second carrier to charge a fee for a carry-on bag. Spirit Airlines began in 2010 began charging $45 for a carry-on bag and booked $50 million in 2011 from the additional revenue.
Allegiant will charge travelers who book and pay online between $10 and $30, based on several factors such a trip’s origination, destination and length, according to Allegiant spokeswoman Jessica Walker. She said passengers who buy their ticket at the airport will be charged $35.
Passengers who have previously purchased their tickets for flights Wednesday and beyond will not have to pay the carry-on bag fee.
Andrew Levy, president of Allegiant Travel Co., corporate parent of Allegiant Air, told employees in an email that “passengers will be permitted to bring one personal item that can be placed under the seat in front of them (like a purse, briefcase, laptop, etc.) for free, and if they choose to bring a larger carry-on bag to be placed in the overhead bins, they may do so for a fee.”
Allegiant Air serves Cedar Rapids with direct flights to Orlando-Sanford, Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg, Las Vegas and Phoenix-Mesa.
