Checked‑bag fees jump

Alaska Airlines raised checked-bag fees for tickets issued on or after April 10, pushing the first bag to $45 and the second to $55. (news.alaskaair.com) Alaska said the first checked bag is up $5 and the second is up $10 on North American Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights. Its baggage page now lists a third checked bag at $200, up from $150, and says the old online prepay discount is gone. (news.alaskaair.com) (alaskaair.com) (alaskapublic.org) Alaska said Atmos Rewards status members, eligible Atmos Rewards Visa cardholders and Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard holders keep their current baggage benefits. The airline also said Club 49 and Huaka‘i benefits are unchanged. (news.alaskaair.com) The increase lands as other large carriers have also moved bag prices higher over the past two years. Delta lists $45 for a first standard checked bag on many domestic trips, and American said on April 9 that domestic bag fees for tickets issued on or after that date rose to $50 at the airport or $45 online for a first bag and $60 at the airport or $55 online for a second. (delta.com) (news.aa.com) (aa.com) Airlines have tied the new charges to fuel costs and a tougher operating environment. The International Air Transport Association said the global average jet-fuel price rose 7.1% week over week to $209 a barrel in its latest monitor. (news.alaskaair.com) (iata.org) For travelers, the fee changes hit on top of higher summer airfares and other add-ons. CNBC Select recommended using airline points, setting fare alerts, choosing cheaper travel days and comparing nearby airports to cut total trip costs. (cnbc.com) CNBC Select also said some airline credit cards can wipe out checked-bag fees entirely, which can matter more now that a round-trip with one checked bag can add $90 or more on some carriers. On Delta, for example, the airline says eligible SkyMiles American Express cardmembers can get a first checked bag free. (cnbc.com) (delta.com) The new math for flyers is simple: a base fare no longer tells the full price of the trip. By mid-April 2026, Alaska, Delta and American were all posting higher checked-bag charges than many travelers paid a year earlier. (alaskaair.com) (delta.com) (aa.com)