Australian airline will charge for overhead bin use

Aussies might soon want to buy their vacation outfits at their destination. The Australian budget airline Jetstar said yesterday that it will charge flyers for carry-on luggage stowed in overhead compartments.

Starting next year, an overhead item will cost at least $18 one way—with one Melbourne–Tokyo round-trip flight charging $194. Small personal items that can fit under the seat will still fly free.

Bag bargain

The airline said its surveys showed that customers view weighing their bags at check-in and finding space in overhead bins as the most stressful parts of flying. It thinks the change will reduce hassle for everyone:

• There will be no more stuffing your pockets to cut weight, as Jetstar won’t weigh bags and said it’ll nix its 15-pound limit for personal items.
• It says less jostling for suitcase space will speed up boarding and reduce delays.

But only 20% of people polled by the Australian site news.com.au said that they were happy with the move.

It’s controversial. Budget airlines worldwide, including Europe’s Ryanair and stateside Frontier, have similar carry-on charges, which they say help subsidize low base fares. But critics argue that the bag fees make it harder to compare the final ticket prices across airlines. The EU recently mandated that carriers display charges for carry-ons on flight booking sites.—SK