Overview
- Delta, which raised fees Wednesday, now charges $45 for a first bag, $55 for a second and $200 for a third on most domestic and short-haul routes.
- American Airlines said it is lifting first- and second-bag fees by $10 on domestic and short-haul trips and setting many third bags at $200, with basic economy adding a $5 bag bump plus new seat-selection fees from May 18.
- Southwest’s checked-bag fees increase by $10 to $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second on tickets bought starting Thursday, less than a year after it ended its long-running free-bags policy.
- United raised first- and second-bag fees by $10 and many third bags by $50 last week, while JetBlue moved to peak and off-peak pricing that can push a first bag to $49 during busy periods.
- Airlines cite jet fuel near $4.81 a gallon in major hubs versus $2.50 before the war, with Delta forecasting a $2 billion fuel hit and pausing summer growth; most elites, premium-cabin flyers, co-branded cardholders and active-duty military keep free-bag perks, and fees tend to stick because optional charges are not subject to the 7.5% federal ticket tax.