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A much-hated airline fee is starting to creep up again.
American Airlines will now charge $40 to check a bag at the airport for domestic flights or $35 for those who pay in advance online. Previously, the airline charged $30 for the first checked bag. A second bag will now cost $45, up from $40.
Airlines once again are tapping luggage fees as a way to offset rising costs, in some cases for the first time in more than five years. American’s price increase follows similar bumps at other airlines. Alaska Airlines raised the charge by $5 early this year to $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second. JetBlue Airways this month started charging $45 to check a bag at the airport, with a $10 discount for paying in advance.
Scott Chandler, American’s senior vice president of revenue management and loyalty, said Tuesday that the fee increase was driven by inflation as airlines have been battling costlier fuel and labor.
“Fuel is a big component—obviously the more bags we carry, the more fuel you’re burning,” he said. “The cost of handling bags across the board, from real estate, machinery, et cetera, has gone up. This is trying to match that.”
American Airlines will now charge $40 to check a bag at the airport for domestic flights or $35 for those who pay in advance online. Previously, the airline charged $30 for the first checked bag. A second bag will now cost $45, up from $40.
Airlines once again are tapping luggage fees as a way to offset rising costs, in some cases for the first time in more than five years. American’s price increase follows similar bumps at other airlines. Alaska Airlines raised the charge by $5 early this year to $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second. JetBlue Airways this month started charging $45 to check a bag at the airport, with a $10 discount for paying in advance.
Scott Chandler, American’s senior vice president of revenue management and loyalty, said Tuesday that the fee increase was driven by inflation as airlines have been battling costlier fuel and labor.
“Fuel is a big component—obviously the more bags we carry, the more fuel you’re burning,” he said. “The cost of handling bags across the board, from real estate, machinery, et cetera, has gone up. This is trying to match that.”
