Facebook users are rallying around a campaign to boycott Spirit Airlines, after the carrier refused to refund the cost of a dying veteran's flight. 
 
 Jerry Meekins, a 76-year-old former marine, requested a refund on his $197 flight to New Jersey from Florida, to visit his daughter during a surgery. Meekins's doctor told him not to fly because he is suffering from terminal esophageal cancer. 
 
 The "Boycott Spirit Airlines" Facebook Page, which had about 700 likes earlier in the week, has more than 18,000 likes as of Thursday morning, Fox News reports. The page was initially started in 2010 when the airline announced it would begin charging for checked luggage. 
 
 Much of the backlash on Facebook against Spirit Airlines is coming from current military members and veterans. 
 
 "I believe Spirit Airlines owes a debt to the Veteran and an apology. Being a good corporate citizen seems not to be in their culture. I will not fly them because of this. I am a proud U.S. Navy Veteran," wrote one Facebook commenter, Robert Twigg. 
 
 SEE ALSO: 10 Tech Innovations That Streamline Air Travel 
 
 Spirit Airlines didn't respond to a request for comment. 
 
 In addition to the Facebook campaign, the Veterans of the Vietnam War and the Veterans Coalition wrote a letter to Spirit Airlines Tuesday. 
 
 Is Facebook the right channel to call for airline boycotts? Do you think there's a better way to build a strong campaign? 
 
 Image via Spirit Airlines ||||| Starting November 6, Spirit Airlines will charge a whopping $100 for carry-on bags stored in overhead bins when purchased at the airport gate, according to a notice on the airline’s website. 
 
 The current fee is $45 for both domestic and international fliers. 
 
 Overall it will cost fliers $5 to $10 more in carry-on bag fees when purchased online, at a reservation center, an airport kiosk or counter or as a $9 Club Fare member, Spirit said. 
 
 The new fees will range from $25 to $100 per carry-on bag, up from $20 to 45. 
 
 Spirit said the new structure will streamline its bag fees, making them identical for domestic and international travelers. 
 
 For a database of airline fees and options, click here. ||||| (CNN) "Now if you could please step on the scale, we need to check your weight." 
 
 A common request at your doctor's office, sure. 
 
 But at the airport? 
 
 It's about to become standard procedure for anyone flying with Uzbekistan Airways. 
 
 In a recent statement, the country's flag carrier announced it will weigh passengers and their carry-on luggage prior to flights to determine how much weight they'll be adding to the plane. 
 
 "According to the rules of International Air Transport Association, airlines are obliged to carry out the regular procedures of preflight control passengers weighing with hand baggage to observe requirements for ensuring flight safety," says the airline's statement. 
 
 Photos: Travel innovators Photos: Travel innovators Ruzwana Bashir, Peek.com – Peek.com is best described as digital concierge, a one-stop site for travelers looking to book -- or simply learn about -- truly one-of-a-kind experiences. Co-founder and CEO Ruzwana Bashir's efforts haven't gone unnoticed. She's on Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs list, Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Technology list and is one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People. Hide Caption 1 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Roberto Milk, NOVICA – Roberto Milk came up with the idea to create an online, fair trade marketplace for local artists to sell their handmade works of art while working as an investment banker. Today, NOVICA features over 45,000 pieces of limited edition and one-of-a-kind handmade works of art. Hide Caption 2 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Harri Kulovaara, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. – Harri Kulovaara has a passion for creating the biggest, most thrilling ships. In fact, he's behind the world's two biggest passenger ships -- Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas -- each one rocking 16 decks, over 2,700 staterooms and the capacity to carry more than 6,000 passengers. Hide Caption 3 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators North Star Viewing Pod – Kulovaara helped launch the world's first smartship -- Quantum of the Seas -- in 2014. This monster has virtual balconies, skydiving at sea, a North Star viewing pod (pictured) and much more. Hide Caption 4 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Layton Han, ADARA – Next time you get a tweet from an airline about a potential seat upgrade opportunity, it's more than likely Layton Han was behind it. His company ADARA collects information from 300 million travelers to customize marketing and advertising messages, personalize websites and tailor customer communications based on individual preferences. Hide Caption 5 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Dale Moser, Coach USA/megabus.com – Armed with a state-of-the-art fleet of double-decker buses equipped with Wi-Fi, power outlets and the latest safety technology, Dale Moser is making bus travel hip again. By marketing to college students and young professionals, Moser has guided Coach USA, Coach Canada and Megabus.com into a $700 million business. Hide Caption 6 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Chris Lopinto, ExpertFlyer.com – Popular website and app ExpertFlyer was born out of founder Chris Lopinto's own bad experiences as a frequent flier. Thanks to him, travelers know what they're really getting when they book that cheap online flight deal. Hide Caption 7 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Zeke Adkins and Aaron Kirley, Luggage Forward – Aaron Kirley and Zeke Adkins, co-founders of Luggage Forward, were inspired by the wild idea that your bags should actually arrive at the destination the same time you do. With minimal hassle. Hide Caption 8 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Luggage Forward – Luggage Forward offers a reliable and cost-effective door-to-door luggage delivery service that saves time, fees and customs hassles. Hide Caption 9 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Travis Kalanick, Uber – Travis Kalanick launched Uber in June 2010 in San Francisco. Today, the app is available for ride seekers in more than 290 cities on six continents. Hide Caption 10 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Ed Kushins, HomeExchange.com – In 1992, California-based Ed Kushins came up with the the idea of trading bedrooms with a complete stranger for those who love to save money and live like a local when on vacation, leading him to produce a printed, mailed book. Today it's the largest online home exchange network in the world. Hide Caption 11 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Geraldine Caplin, Hilton Worldwide – Walking up to the check-in counter of a hotel could soon be an old school experience thanks to the technological leadership of Geraldine Calpin of Hilton Worldwide. Hide Caption 12 of 13 Photos: Travel innovators Hilton Worldwide Tablet – Hilton's new initiative allows guests to browse floor plans at over 4,100 properties globally before making a personalized room selection. Hide Caption 13 of 13 
 
 An IATA spokesperson, however, tells CNN the organization isn't aware of any such regulation. 
 
 "We are not aware of an IATA rule concerning the weighing of passengers and their hand luggage prior to flight," says Chris Goater, manager of IATA corporate communications, via email. 
 
 "All airlines have policies in place for load calculations, weight and balance of their aircraft. These policies in turn are subject to the rules and regulations of their national aviation regulator." 
 
 Uzbekistan Airlines says passengers will be weighed on scales in airport departure zones. 
 
 "The weighing record will only contain the corresponding passenger category (i.e. male/female/children). As for the rest, the full confidentiality of results is guaranteed." 
 
 How commercial airliners measure weight/mass 
 
 Aviation bodies like the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency have issued formulas for airlines to calculate the average weight passengers are adding to a plane. 
 
 Most commonly, that involves applying an average passenger-mass value. 
 
 For instance, the latest FAA guidelines on aircraft weight and balance control set individual passenger weight averages at 190-195 pounds for adults and 82 pounds for kids, depending on whether it's summer or winter. (Based on the assumption people wear heavier clothing in winter.) 
 
 These figures also include a 16-pound allowance for personal items and carry-on bags. 
 
 Pay-as-you-weigh airfares? 
 
 Uzbekistan Airways hasn't responded to CNN's request for clarification on the new guidelines and whether overweight passengers will be penalized. 
 
 Should it make the controversial move to charge fliers extra, it wouldn't be the first time. 
 
 In 2012, Samoa Air made global headlines by introducing a pay-as-you-weigh fare structure, which is still in place today 
 
 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying 
 
 
 
 Joe Brancantelli, a travel journalist who runs the travel website 
 
 
 
 "I think it comes down to this: Airline executives are convinced you pay too little for transport from point A to point B. So they lard their fare with all sorts of extra fees," he says. 
 
 
 
 Not sure what you're paying for? Consider this your airline fee cheat sheet. 
 
 
 
 TSA fees 
 
 
 
 One fee that irks travelers and carriers alike is the U.S.-government imposed TSA security fee. The fees started post-9/11, and were a moderate $2.50 per journey leg. Last year, the fee more than doubled, less for increased security measures and more as a means of battling the U.S. federal deficit. 
 
 
 
 "Carriers were not happy about this last year," recalls Alexandria Williams, spokeswoman for Few things lately seem to be as prolific as airline fees. It seems even the most generous carriers are done absorbing the costs of things like printing out boarding passes or supplying meals. American carrier JetBlue was one of the last remaining airlines that didn't charge customers for checked bags, but even they changed their tune recently.Joe Brancantelli, a travel journalist who runs the travel website JoeSentMe , says the trend is unlikely to end anytime soon."I think it comes down to this: Airline executives are convinced you pay too little for transport from point A to point B. So they lard their fare with all sorts of extra fees," he says.Not sure what you're paying for? Consider this your airline fee cheat sheet.One fee that irks travelers and carriers alike is the U.S.-government imposed TSA security fee. The fees started post-9/11, and were a moderate $2.50 per journey leg. Last year, the fee more than doubled, less for increased security measures and more as a means of battling the U.S. federal deficit."Carriers were not happy about this last year," recalls Alexandria Williams, spokeswoman for FareCompare , with many industry groups, including Airlines for America and the International Air Transport Association, kicking back. Some hoped the airlines might absorb the fees, but for the most part, these have been passed on back to the passenger. Hide Caption 1 of 6 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Fuel surcharge – Fuel charges started popping up on international flights nearly a decade ago, confusing many a passenger who were lured in by a reasonable base fare only to discover this mysterious fee nearly doubled the price of ticket. Supposedly, the "fuel surcharge" was meant to reimburse the airlines for high oil prices. As oil prices have fallen, however, this fee has remained. To further confuse passengers, many airlines have renamed the fee. Some carriers now refer to it as an "airline surcharge" or some variation of a "carrier-imposed fee." 
 
 
 
 Brancantelli objects to the difficulty in interpreting these fees. 
 
 
 
 "Airlines around the world need to do a better job of showing you the breakdown of fares," he says. 
 
 Hide Caption 2 of 6 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Boarding pass fees – Budget airlines are increasingly passengers for services that were once complimentary, namely, seat assignment and printing of boarding passes. One of the most obvious offenders in this department is Irish budget carrier RyanAir, which charges an additional $108 for airport check-in. Increasingly, airlines are also charging passengers for the right to choose their seat -- a service that can easily cost an extra $25 per passenger. 
 
 
 
 "Airlines have made so much profit from fees that you can believe they are finding new ways for fees to help generate more revenue," notes Williams. Hide Caption 3 of 6 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Admin fees – What exactly are these mysterious admin fees, which tend to pop up (on top of the advertised base fee) on international flights? Mainly, says Brancantelli, these are fees to pay for an airline's website. Hide Caption 4 of 6 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Credit card fees – Credit cards have become the lingua franca for financial transactions. Alas, airlines increasingly charge passengers extra for the privilege of charging their upcoming trip. Fees vary, with some carriers charging a flat rate (both Air France and American Airlines, for instance, charge $7 when booking in the UK), while others charge a percentage (Flybe charges an extra 3% per ticket from the UK). 
 
 
 
 These fees can be avoided, says Williams, but not without extra legwork. 
 
 "You have to go out to the airport and make the reservation there," she warns. 
 
 
 
 Alternatively, passengers can book over the phone -- though there's usually a fee for that as well. Hide Caption 5 of 6 Photos: Airline fees you didn't know you were paying Agriculture fees – Passengers also pay to keep the skies safe from agricultural diseases. The agriculture fee (obligatory on all international flights landing in the U.S.) is issued to help the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service "defend America's animal and plant resources." Hide Caption 6 of 6 
 
 "The next step is for the industry to make those sort of changes and recognize that, 'Hey, we are not all 72 kilograms [about 160 pounds] anymore and we don't all fit into a standard seat,'" Chris Langton, Samoa Air chief executive told CNN in 2013 
 
 "What makes airplanes work is weight. We are not selling seats, we are selling weight." 
 
 The airline's motto? 
 
 "A kilo is a kilo is a kilo!"
– Now that other airlines are jumping on the fees-for-carry-ons band wagon, Spirit Airlines wants you to be sure and remember that they were the first. The airline is jacking up its carry-on fees, which will now range from between $20 a bag all the way up to an eye-popping $100, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. The cheaper rates are for fliers who pay the fee online; wait until you get to the gate, and it'll cost you c-note. Appalled? Then maybe you should join the burgeoning boycott on Facebook. The boycott isn't about bag fees though; it's about the airline's refusal to refund the ticket of 76-year-old veteran Jerry Meeks, who had to cancel a flight on doctor's orders because he's suffering from terminal esophageal cancer, Mashable reports. It gets worse: This dying ex-marine was flying in the first place to see his daughter, who was having surgery. As of this writing, the boycott page has more than 20,000 likes.