I've been looking around at airfares and was looking at WOW airlines, the fairly new discount carrier out of Iceland..
They do something I've never seen before. They have a carry-on weight limit of 5 kg but you can PURCHASE an additional 7 kg, making your limit a total of 12 kg. The cost was 14 euros.
Has anyone seen this on other airlines?
Nope !!! Just another way to pick up a few extra dollars. When you go with discount airlines, especially deep discounts, the extra fees can be extensive. They have to get their money somewhere.
Fees, fees, and more fees
If you pack a carryon that’s less than 11 lbs (5 kg) and you’re happy not having an assigned seat, you are good to go. Otherwise, break out the credit card; here are some of the fees you
face, as compiled by the travel site Jaunted:p
Carry-on luggage 5-12 kg (11-26 lbs*) = $38
First checked luggage Seat reservation, XL legroom = $24
Seat reservation, front of plane = $14
Seat reservation, middle of plane = $9
Seat reservation, back of plane = $3
Most of those prices are for paying online; if you book any other way it will cost more. Wow also charges for unaccompanied children—the chaperone fee is €55 ($69.50) per flight leg.
Prepare to book ahead—waaaaaaaay ahead.
Those attention-grabbing $99 and $125 fares are only available if you book for travel that is many months away, despite the fact that the flights have been available for less than 24 hours. As of publication time, the site is only showing the lowest fares for routes like Boston-London beginning in September 2015.
Flying to Reyykjavik costs more than connecting through it.
Flying east is cheaper than flying west
A flight from Boston to London costs $99 if you travel on September 20, but it costs more than three times as much to return a week later.
Connecting flights might not be on Wow, exactly
Some flights between Reykjavik and London are operated by Air VIA, a Bulgarian charter airline that leases some of its planes to Wow.
It costs as little as $99 to fly from Boston to London or Copenhagen, after a connection and short layover in Reykjavik—but $129 to fly just to Reykjavik. Sure, you could just carry on your luggage, disembark in Iceland, and not take the second flight, but make sure you didn’t book a round trip—airlines usually cancel the whole trip if you don’t fly every segment of a reservation.
*Notice WOW airlines charges for luggage that is within the weight limits of most airlines.
(SOURCE: http://skift.com/2014/10/23/wow-airs-99-transatlantic-flights-kickstart-budget-fare-boom/#.)
Frank II,
I can't comment on WOW Airlines as I haven't travelled with them. I've never seen an extra charge for carry-on luggage, as in many cases with the budget airlines, there may be a size limit but many don't care what the weight is (as long as the passenger can lift the bag into the overhead bin on their own). This seems like another way to gouge a few more bucks out of their customers.
I typically pay extra for the next weight tier for checked luggage when flying with EasyJet or other budget airlines. My main Pack is close to the limit, so I don't want to get nicked with the exorbitant charge if they find it overweight at the time of check-in.
There are definitely weight limits on some airlines for carry on luggage although no extra charge for exceeding them. KLM and Air India both said my main carry on was too heavy and had to be checked....even though it was within the size limit. I have also found that many of the "budget" airlines make up some ground with extra fees so they aren't quite the bargain you were hoping for when you see their initial price.
