Spirit Airlines is charging a "passenger usage fee" of $4.90 each way, after discontinuing a similar fee in late July, Ina Paiva Cordel reports. "It's a booking fee to cover distribution costs," says
Spirit spokeswoman Misty Pinson.
Spirit recently reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation after months of discussions. The DOT fined Spirit $40,000 in late
December for violations related to its rule on full-fare advertising.
"We informed Spirit they can charge a fee at any place other than ticket counters only if the fee is included in
the ticket price advertised," says DOT spokesman Bill Mosley. "They can't say 'the ticket is $225 plus a $25 fee.' They have to say, 'The ticket is $250; this includes a $25 passenger usage fee.'"
In addition to the passenger usage fee, Spirit for one week in June charged a "Natural Occurrence Interruption Fee" of $2.50 and an "International Service Recovery Fee" of $8.50.
Pinson says the airline does not plan to bring back those fees.
advertisement
advertisement
Read the whole story at Miami Herald »