Middle Seat: The Next Airline Fee - Buying Tickets?

Spirit Airlines Inc., an ultralow-cost carrier that has pioneered many fees, says it has worked out an agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin charging a "passenger usage fee" - perhaps $5 to $10 per ticket - for the privilege of buying a ticket anyplace other than at Spirit's airport ticket counters.   The fee, designed to cover reservation-booking costs, will be part of Spirit's aggressive and edgy strategy, which doesn't always fly well with passengers. Spirit already has ruffled some feathers with its racy promotions; ads in airplane cabins and on flight-attendant uniforms; fees to reserve seats; and the addition of travel insurance to tickets unless customers opt out.   Rival airlines aren't expected to follow Spirit's boundary-stretching usage fee - unless it proves to be a successful revenue generator.

Most airlines already charge to book through telephone reservation centers and will be watching closely to see if consumers acquiesce to broader booking fees.

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