Airlines hike bag fees
Several U.S. carriers have raised checked‑baggage fees and adjusted routes as jet‑fuel costs climb — American Airlines and Alaska Air are among those increasing fees. (thegardenisland.com) Consumer reporting says checking a single bag can now cost about $110 round‑trip, and Southwest recently raised checked‑bag fees by nearly 30% while adding a new “Sip and Ship” perk and reshuffling routes such as trimming Chicago O’Hare service and adding Santa Rosa flights. (postandcourier.com) (thetravel.com) (finance.yahoo.com)
Checking a bag on a major United States airline now often costs $45 to $50 each way, after another round of fee increases this month. (aa.com) American Airlines said on April 9 that domestic travelers will pay $50 for a first checked bag and $60 for a second at the airport on tickets booked that day or later; prepaying online cuts each fee by $5. Basic Economy passengers on domestic tickets bought for travel from May 18 and beyond will pay $55 for a first checked bag and $65 for a second at the airport. (aa.com) Alaska Airlines said on April 9 that it is raising North American checked-bag fees by $5 for a first bag and $10 for a second on flights booked on or after April 10, citing “ongoing volatility in fuel prices and an uncertain global environment.” (news.alaskaair.com) Southwest Airlines also raised bag fees on bookings made on or after April 9. Its posted one-way charge for a first checked bag on mainland United States travel moved to $45 from $35, and the second bag moved to $55 from $45. (southwest.com) The timing tracks a broader jump in airline fuel costs. Aviation Week reported that United States Jet-A fuel averaged $8.63 a gallon in April 2026, up $1.77 from March and $2.03 from a year earlier. (aviationweek.com) Other carriers are moving the same way. The Associated Press reported on April 8 that Delta Air Lines raised first- and second-bag fees by $10 each on new bookings as higher fuel costs spread across the industry. (apnews.com) For travelers, the math adds up fast: a passenger paying $45 each way spends $90 on one checked bag round-trip, and a passenger paying $50 each way spends $100 before any second-bag, overweight, or oversized charges. American’s third checked bag on many domestic and short-haul international routes now costs $200. (southwest.com) (aa.com) Airlines are not only charging more for bags; they are also reworking where they fly. Southwest said in March that it will end service at Chicago O’Hare on June 4 and shift Chicagoland flying back to Midway, where it said it will keep more than 80 destinations and up to 244 daily departures. (nbcchicago.com) At the same time, Southwest began service to Santa Rosa, California, on April 7 with nonstop flights to San Diego, Las Vegas, Denver, and Burbank. The airline said it will start a “Sip and Ship” program on April 24 that lets customers check one case of wine for free from Santa Rosa. (swamedia.com) (southwestairlinesinvestorrelations.com) The carveouts remain the same in many cases: American said AAdvantage status members, many co-branded cardholders, premium-cabin passengers, and active-duty military travelers still get free checked bags, and Alaska said its Atmos Rewards members, eligible cardholders, Huaka‘i travelers, and Club 49 members keep current baggage benefits. (aa.com) (news.alaskaair.com) The result is a fare display that can look unchanged until checkout, when baggage costs add another $90 to $100 to a basic round trip. For passengers comparing airlines this spring, the posted ticket price and the actual trip price are moving farther apart. (southwest.com) (aa.com)
