WOW Air, the Icelandic LCC which has been providing very affordable fares to Europe, is changing its baggage policy. WOW Air has been aggressively expanding throughout the US and Canada. They have added flights to New York, Miami and Los Angeles. The airline is known for its $69 fares to Iceland, and for being a no-frills airline. Well, its seems that they cut down even more “frills”.
WOW Air Ends Free Carry-on Bags
As The Points Guy reports, WOW Air is to discontinue allowing free carry-on bags. Much like Basic Economy fares on American, or travel on Spirit, you will limit you now to just a personal item. The airline plans to charge people for carry-on bags. Per the airline website, they will now measure carry-on bags at check-in. Prices, however, are exorbitant. If you plan on flying with a carry-on bag, be prepared to dish out big money. They plan on charging 74.09 GBP for a gate checked carry-on. THAT’S INSANE. That’s around $100. As a comparison, they charge the same price for checked bags at the gate.
I can’t imagine having to pay out ~$100 for a carry-on bag. It seems exorbitant to me. I recommend purchasing it online if you have a chance, and if you can’t then pay at check-in. I DO NOT encourage people trying to sneak things on. This could lead to a major, unplanned expense.
Landing Thoughts
This seriously offsets the benefits of traveling with WOW Air. One of the nicest things I found about them was the fact that they allowed a carry-on. This made traveling to Europe for a short time much more affordable with them. From now on, I will be taking into account the costs of the “added perks” when I travel with them.
I still think WOW Air can offer a good deal, if you pack lightly, and plan (read pay) ahead. Their route network is bound to expand and bring lower fares to new markets. If anything, that is a plus they can add. I can only imagine legacy carriers will begin to implement basic economy on international routes when they start feeling the crunch. Although I am not a fan of basic economy, some people may want the lower fare, and plan accordingly. Nonetheless, I am very disappointed to see WOW Air change their policies for the worse.
What do you think? Would you still fly WOW Air with the new changes? Have you flown WOW Air? How was your experience? Let us know!
All Images from Wikimedia Commons or WOW Air website.
