American Hikes Baggage Fees Another $5

In a press release, American Airlines announced it plans to hike the fees for checked bags another $5. The extra charge applies to tickets purchased on or after August 14, 2009 for all flights within the United States and U.S territories. The new fee is $20 for the first bag, $30 for the second, up from $15 and $25 respectively. As is the current policy, elite members, full-fare economy, as well and first and business class passengers are exempt from baggage check fees.

To compare, many other U.S.-based airlines charge around $15 to check a single bag. Southwest and JetBlue are the lone airlines who continue allow one piece of luggage free of charge.

Delta Adds New Bag Fee For International Travel

Hit with huge Q1 losses, Delta Airlines announced they will immediately begin charging a $50 fee for most passengers when checking a second bag for international flights commencing on or after July 1, 2009. The fee is expected to generate $100 million in new revenue to the airline annually. This compares to the $794 million loss the airline took in the 1st quarter of this year. Both elite flyers and active military are exempt from the new baggage fee. In addition, all passengers can continue to check the first piece of luggage fee-free on international flights. 

Virgin America Follows Trend to Charge for Checked Baggage

Virgin America finally joined with most of the other carriers in charging a fee for a single piece of checked luggage. According to their website, passengers who book travel commencing after May 4, 2009 will be subject to a first bag fee of $15. Previously there was no charge to check one bag.  

The first bag fee does not apply to passengers flying first class or main cabin select, or those who purchased a fully refundable economy class ticket. 

When oil prices surged last year, many of the mainline carriers began instituting fees for all checked bags. Oil prices dropped, but the fees never went away. The move by Virgin America reflects the current norm for airlines to charge fees for checked bags.

"No Free Ride" parody brings out the fun in fees

(Thanks Bruce)
Fees are up, and services are down at airlines throughout the U.S. This parody from Parody & Son makes light of the troubling airline industry, and the impacts on passengers. Enjoy!

Delta Hikes Baggage Fees

By Mike Grasso
Perhaps one day soon the fees to transport luggage may cost more than the passenger's airline ticket

In a press release Tuesday, Delta Airlines announced the increase of checked-bag fees; this impacts the quantity, the weight, and the size of bags. First and foremost, Delta continues to offer one free checked bag, as long as it meets the weight and size guidelines. Deviations from this one-bag policy will result in fees, fees and more fees. Here we go:

1st Bag checked - FREE
2nd Bag checked - $50 bucks for domestic flights (previously $25)
Plus higher fees for additional bags

Trying to pack your one piece of luggage as full and heavy as possible to avoid the 2nd bag fee? Delta is on to you! =)

Any checked bag - 51-70 pounds = $90 fee for domestic flights (previously $80)
Plus higher fees for heavier baggage

Finally, if the dimensions of said baggage exceed 63" inches, a $175 fee is levied (up from $150)
Anything over 80" is not permitted.

An example of how all these fees come together is best illustrated by an example on the Delta website: Check in an extra piece of luggage that goes over the weight limit and over the size limit, you get charged 3 different fees - each way. This would make for a painful vacation for an uninformed family flying out on vacation.

Some or all fees are excluded for passengers flying first or business class, flying internationally, or Delta Medallion members. For everyone else, the fee hikes begin for tickets sold on or after July 31st, for travel on or after August 5, 2008. Click here for all the details.

Southwest Media Blitz: 'Fees Don't Fly With Us'

Each week it seems flyers are hit with yet another fee from the airlines. For example, last month Delta airlines announced they will add a $25-$50 fuel surcharge to all award redemption tickets. American airlines rolled out a $5 fee to all award tickets booked on their website, and even higher if you call the airline directly. Next month, United will assess $15 for the first piece of luggage checked, while a soda pop or coffee will set you back a couple bucks when flying U.S Airways. With many of these mainline carriers we are reminded that the ticket you purchase is merely for a seat on the plane; think Greyhound bus, but with wings.

Then comes along Southwest Airlines. With banner messages such as, "No surprise fees," and "Fees don't fly with us," the airline launched a media campaign last month which clearly goes against the nickel-and-diming strategy present throughout the rest of the industry. One television features a traveler feeding quarters into coin boxes to open the overhead bin, adjust his seat, and close his window blind.

In addition to television ads, the ad blitz covered print media, online banner ads, and radio spots. The airline also dedicated a page on their website outlining fees Southwest does not charge for.

United & U.S Air Institute Charge For First Checked Bag

Breaking News: U.S Airways announced they will also begin to charge $2.00 for coffee, bottled water, juice and soda.
This afternoon United Airlines joined on and announced they too will begin charging $15 for the first baggage checked. U.S Airways quickly matched the United fee. The move follows American Airlines announcement of this new fee last month.

United said they will begin charging the fee for tickets purchased tickets beginning Friday for domestic flights of August 18 or later. The fee does not apply to Star Alliance elite passengers, those traveling in business or first class, or passengers flying internationally, excluding Canada. Based on current data, United expects about 1 in 3 passengers will be affected by this additional fee.

Domestic Airline Fee Chart

Rick Seaney from FareCompare has compiled a comprehensive list of fees sorted by each domestic airline. As I've talked about extensively here, there have been many fee increases over the past several months, as well as a few circumstances where the airlines have instituted a new fee for services previously free. Kudos to FareCompare for providing this information to the traveling public. Click here for the list.

American To Begin Charging For Any Checked Bag

By Mike Grasso
After recently announcing a $25 fee for a second piece of checked luggage, American Airlines said today they also will begin assessing a $15 fee for the first piece of checked luggage. The Dallas-based carrier says it will cut domestic capacity by 10-11% the fourth quarter, lay off possibly several thousand jobs, and add additional fees for certain transactions.

American, like other airlines, are facing tough economic times. They are racing to find methods to reduce operating costs and generate additional revenue to offset record high jet fuel prices.
The new $15 fee becomes effective June 15th. American is the only legacy carrier in the United States to charge such a fee.

The parent company of American-AMR, saw its stock plummet over 30% today, now selling just under a mere $7 bucks.

In effect, the airline will push more people to try and carry fuller, heavier bags onto already cramped overhead space.

With recent airline bankruptcies and shutdowns, fuel surcharges, limiting mileage accrual, and charging baggage fees, we are truly living in a new era of air travel. We should expect a turbulent ride in the coming months as more big changes are surely in store for a deeply troubled airline industry.

Alaska Airlines Announces Several Fee Hikes

Citing "a need to raise certain fees to better align them with the current costs of providing added services," Alaska Airlines announced several hikes in fees. In a press release, the airline stated these added costs are part of a larger strategy to further increase revenues and reduce expenses.

New Alaska Fees Effective May 21, 2008:

• Booking an airline ticket through phone reservations: Increases from $10 to $15.


• Fee for overweight baggage: Increases from $25 to $50.


• Charge for transporting pets in the cabin: Was $75, will increase to $100.


• Unaccompanied minor fee: Originally $30-$75, new charge $60-$75 each way.
  

The airline announced it will begin charging a second checked bag fee of $25 this summer as well, a move most of the major airlines will be implementing as well.

Continental, Delta Match 2nd bag fee

A bit late posting this one...been out of the country.

Checking in more than one bag will cost you $25 bucks; you can now term it the industry standard. The most recent adopters of the fee are Continental and Delta, but United and U.S Airways were the leaders in implementing it. Northwest announced their bag fee last week, and Dallas-based American Airlines has filed an intent to charge the fee as well. Some elite fliers and those in first class may not be subject to the new fees however.