March 22--Denver-based Frontier Airlines is continuing to follow in the footsteps of Spirit Airlines, the Florida-based carrier and pacesetter when it comes to passenger fees.
Starting May 1, Frontier plans to raise fees for the first bag by $5 when passengers pay at the gate, pay during online check-in or use the airline's call center. The $5 increase also applies to the second and third bag when paid for at the airport check-in.
The bag fee goes up by $10 for any bag brought to the gate that exceeds the maximum carry-on dimensions.
The move should come as no surprise to fliers. Frontier was purchased in 2013 by Indigo Partners -- the same Phoenix-based private equity firm that helped finance Spirit Airlines, the carrier with the highest profit margin in the nation.
Bag fees were a big part of that profit margin.
In the first nine months of last year, Spirit Airlines collected $181 million in bag fees, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. In that same period, Frontier collected $99 million in bag fees.
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