text: 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.
target: – 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.