$100 Carry-on Bag Fee: Frontier's Bold Gamble

A nationally recognized reporter, writer, and consumer advocate, Ed Perkins focuses on how travelers can find the best deals and avoid scams.

He is the author of "Online Travel" (2000) and "Business Travel: When It's Your Money" (2004), the first step-by-step guide specifically written for small business and self-employed professional travelers. He was also the co-author of the annual "Best Travel Deals" series from Consumers Union.

Perkins' advice for business travelers is featured on MyBusinessTravel.com, a website devoted to helping small business and self-employed professional travelers find the best value for their travel dollars.

Perkins was founding editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, one of the country's most influential travel publications, from which he retired in 1998. He has also written for Business Traveller magazine (London).

Perkins' travel expertise has led to frequent television appearances, including ABC's "Good Morning America" and "This Week with David Brinkley," "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather," CNN, and numerous local TV and radio stations.

Before editing Consumer Reports Travel Letter, Perkins spent 25 years in travel research and consulting with assignments ranging from national tourism development strategies to the design of computer-based tourism models.

Born in Evanston, Illinois, Perkins lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife.

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If you book a “basic” ticket through any provider other than Frontier, you’ll pay a $25 to $100 fee for a carry-on bag stowed in the overhead bin. Frontier will not charge for a carry-on bag that you can stow underneath the seat in front of you, but that’s a pretty tight limit.

Although many travelers will probably focus on the outrageous top $100 fee—which only applies if you don’t pay until you check in at the airport—you can run that fee down to $25 by checking in through Frontier.com. Frontier also plans to charge a nominal $1.99 fee for the basic soft drink/tea/coffee service for travelers who purchased”economy” or “basic” fares.

Frontier has justified the carry-on fee as a move to make sure its “most loyal” customers find sufficient overhead-bin room. But that’s more of an excuse than a reason. Beyond the revenue element—always a big factor with airlines these days—Frontier is at the forefront of a move to lure travelers away from third-party online travel agencies (OTAs). The airline wants you to buy through its own website, both to lower its costs and to keep more control over you, as a customer.

Already, Frontier penalizes travelers who buy through third-party agencies by giving reduced frequent-flyer miles, withholding some bundled fare options, and not allowing early seat selection.

Frontier isn’t the only carrier trying to grab a bigger share of the direct-buying market. Southwest doesn’t use third-party channels at all. But Frontier’s move is a gamble: It may gain revenue, but it could also drive lots of customers to other airlines. The marketplace will ultimately decide whether the latest gamble will pay off.

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