A personal item is one of the few things that Spirit Airlines doesn’t charge extra for, but the size of that complimentary carry-on is shrinking by a quarter!
Read more: The best day of the week to book a cheap flight
Spirit is reducing free personal item size
Spirit travelers are currently allowed to bring items like a purse, backpack or bag free of charge if it measures no more than 16 x 14 x 12 inches.
But starting April 4, dimensions for a personal item must not exceed 18 x 14 x 8 inches.
Clark says that the tiny bag he takes on budget airlines is 16 x 12 x 8 inches, so it makes it under Spirit’s new rule. However, he said his bag may be too fat if he packs it full.
Spirit already charges for larger carry-on and checked bags. Any oversized personal item will result in an extra fee.
Spirit is making this change as Delta, United and American debut or expand no-frills “basic economy” fares that may remind some travelers of the flying experience that discount carriers offer.
For example, here are the basic economy restrictions on Delta:
- Seats assigned after check-in
- Customers board last
- No group and family seating
- Tickets are non-refundable
- Tickets cannot be changed
- Not eligible for upgrades
American and United take it a step further than Delta by restricting access to overhead bins and not permitting full-sized carry-on bags.
Read more: Use this packing trick to avoid a checked bag fee
How to get the cheapest airfare
To get the lowest ticket price, Clark recommends starting with Kayak. After entering your to and from destinations, be sure to include nearby airports and flexible dates to see when fares are rock bottom.
Next, go Google.com/flights and select the ‘track prices’ option for your desired trip. Switch it to ‘on’ and receive email updates when the price changes!
As a general rule, airfares tend to be the cheapest on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. You can save money by booking your ticket at least 21 days in advance.
Read more: The #1 rule of cheap travel
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