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. 

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.

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.

United Airlines Increases Change Fee

By Mike Grasso

In what could result in a domino effect among other mainline carriers, United Airlines has raised change fees for non-award tickets to $150.00. The change appears to be effective immediately.

The news was initially mentioned on flyertalk, and although United has not made a public announcement of the increase, I just confirmed the change in the q&a section of the ual website.

Most mainline carriers, including United, charged no more than $100 (plus any applicable fare change) for making changes to a reservation. With the increase, United is making a bold move, one likely to upset business & leisure travelers worldwide.

But, in February United announced they would pioneer a special $25 fee for checking in a second bag, and despite grumbles from flyers, within weeks most of the larger U.S-based airlines announced a matching the fee. Here, they were successful.

In addition to increasing change fees, in the coming months I expect many airlines to find other creative ways to charge passengers, far beyond the price of the ticket. As fuel costs rise to an all-time high, the industry must find solutions to offset the higher cost of flying planes.

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.

Delta Airlines to charge $25 for 2nd checked bag

Following quickly behind the lead of United & U.S Airways, Delta Airlines announced today they too will begin charging $25 for most passengers checking in a second bag. The fee will start in May, and will not apply to Delta's most frequent travelers or those flying in first class.

Last month United and U.S Airways announced similar moves in an effort to grapple with rising fuel costs affecting the airlines.

U.S Airways to charge for 2nd checked bag

If you think this sounds familiar, you're right!

In a press release Tuesday, U.S Airways announced the introduction of a $25 fee for most passengers checking-in more than one bag. The change takes effect May 5th and is expected to generate $75 million in cost savings (fuel, manual labor) and new revenue to the airline. The fee will not apply to passengers with the highest elite status in the U.S Air Dividend miles program.

Earlier this month United Airlines announced it would begin charging $25 for additional bags as well.

United to charge for 2nd checked bag

As of February 4, 2008, United has a new checked baggage policy. Non-elite Mileage Plus® members and non-members traveling on non-refundable Economy tickets within the United States, Canada and U.S. territories, may check one bag for free and a second for a $25 fee. The new policy applies to tickets purchased beginning February 4, 2008 for travel on or after May 5, 2008.

For status holders, the number of bags you are allowed to check at no charge will continue to be in accordance with your Mileage Plus status and/or class of service flown.

United has also simplified many of the other fees charged to check items that require special handling because they are large, overweight or fragile. For further details on these policies visit united.com/baggage.

United isn't alone in making new changes to their checked bags policy. Click here to see recent inFLIGHTout posts.

ManyBag and LapChildren Fees from Spirit Airlines

By Mike Grasso

Spirit Airlines currently permits checked bags on their flights for a $5-$10 fee (the lower reflects bag payment made online versus the airport). Effective February 20th, that fee doubles; $10-$20 per bag. More than 3 bags will cost an additional $100 bucks each. You may haul a free carry-on and one personal item onboard the plane free of charge.

While other airlines charge excess baggage fees, Spirit takes it to a higher level. American and United for example charge $80 and $85 respectively, for a 3rd checked bag. Southwest, even with the introduction of charging a fee for the 3rd bag (effective January 29), it will set you back only 25 bucks. Spirit is truly leading the way in higher baggage fees.

Want to bring a LapChild along during your Spirit flight? (They don't count as the free carry-on). Children under the age of 2 are not required to purchase their own seat, but come May 1st if they're going to sit in your lap, those little people incur a LapChildren fee of $25 bucks each way on Spirit Airlines.

To compare LapChild fees, SkyBus, often referred to as the lowest of low cost carriers operating in the U.S, charges $10 for each segment a child is parked on your lap, but they also charge as little as $10 bucks for a flight; the added fee seems reasonable there. Otherwise, this type of fee doesn't really exist with other airlines in the United States. So in sum, that infant of yours will soon pay for his/her share of onboard oxygen and fuel costs when flying Spirit Airlines.

In defense of these fees, the airlines are struggling to cut costs, and a few pounds of infancy do add a few bucks to operating costs. It's possible then, in the larger airline world, we might expect other airlines to follow Spirits move on similar LapChildren fees, and modify their existing ManyBag fees.

Background on Spirit Airlines:
Spirit Airlines inaugurated flights from San Francisco Airport in 2006, but does not currently offer routes from the Bay Area; it's unknown whether the airline pulled out completely, or seasonally. Spirit offers a huge network of routes throughout the East Coast and the Caribbean.