An
American
Airlines
plane
sits
at
the
gate
at
Cancun
International
Airport
on
May
26,
2023.
Daniel
Slim
|
AFP
|
Getty
Images
American
Airlines
has
raised
the
price
to
check
a
bag
for
the
first
time
in
more
than
five
years
and
said
it
would
limit
which
travel
agency
bookings
are
eligible
to
earn
frequent
flyer
miles.
Passengers
will
pay
$35
to
check
a
first
bag
for
domestic
flights
if
the
service
is
booked
online
in
advance,
or
$40
if
they
purchase
the
option
at
the
airport,
the
carrier
said
Tuesday.
Both
options
previously
cost
$30.
A
second
checked
bag
will
cost
$45,
up
from
$40,
whether
purchased
in
advance
or
at
the
airport.
Travelers’
first
checked
bag
on
flights
between
the
U.S.
and
Canada,
the
Caribbean
or
Mexico
will
be
$35
whether
in
advance
or
at
the
airport.
American
Airlines
last
raised
bag
fees
in
September
2018
along
with
other
major
airlines.
Carriers
are
looking
for
ways
to
increase
revenue
as
airfare
has
declined
over
the
past
year.
The
last
inflation
report
showed
airfare
fell
more
than
6%
in
January
from
a
year
earlier.
“Our
cost
of
transporting
bags
is
significantly
higher”
over
the
past
few
years,
said
Scott
Chandler,
American’s
senior
vice
president
of
revenue
management
and
loyalty.
“Fuel
is
a
big
component
of
it.”
Airlines
and
other
companies
have
been
grappling
with
how
to
cover
higher
costs,
such
as
new
labor
contracts,
while
pricing
power
has
waned.
Other
airlines
have
also
recently
raised
bag
fees.
This
year,
Alaska
Airlines
increased
the
charge
for
economy
passengers
to
check
bags
by
$5
to
$35
for
a
first
piece
and
$45
for
a
second
bag.
JetBlue
Airways
started
charging
most
coach
travelers
$45
to
check
a
bag
within
24
hours
of
departure,
up
from
$40.
In
advance,
JetBlue
is
now
charging
$35
for
the
first
bag.
Passengers
check
in
for
an
American
Airlines
flightsat
O’Hare
International
Airport
on
October
11,
2022
in
Chicago,
Illinois.
Scott
Olson
|
Getty
Images
“While
we
don’t
like
increasing
fees,
it’s
one
step
we
are
taking
to
get
our
company
back
to
profitability
and
cover
the
increased
costs
of
transporting
bags,”
JetBlue
said
in
a
statement.
“By
adjusting
fees
for
added
services
that
only
certain
customers
use,
we
can
keep
base
fares
low
and
ensure
customer
favorites
like
seatback
TVs
and
high-speed
Wi-Fi
remain
free
for
everyone.”
United
Airlines
and
Delta
Air
Lines declined
to
comment
Tuesday
on
potential
changes
to
their
policies.
Southwest
Airlines
offers
passengers
two
free
checked
bags.
In
the
first
nine
months
of
2023,
U.S.
airlines
brought
in
$5.5
billion
from
baggage
fees
—
including
more
than
$1
billion
by
American
alone.
The
total
was
up
9%
from
the
year-earlier
period,
and
up
more
than
25%
from
the
first
nine
months
of
2019,
according
to
the
Transportation
Department’s
latest
data.
American’s
frequent
flyer
members
with
elite
status
and
some
American
Airlines
credit
card
holders
will
still
receive
a
complimentary
checked
bag,
it
said
Tuesday
in
announcing
the
changes.
The
Forth
Worth,
Texas-based
airline
is
also
reducing
fees
for
slightly
overweight
bags,
so
travelers
will
no
longer
have
to
frantically
remove
items
from
their
suitcases
at
the
check-in
counter.
For
example,
customers
will
pay
a
fee
of
$30
on
checked
bags
that
are
as
much
as
three
pounds
over
a
50
pound
limit,
instead
of
the
previous
$100
fee.
American
also
said
on
Tuesday
that
it
will
start
limiting
which
tickets
purchased
through
a
third
party
are
eligible
to
earn
AAdvantage
frequent
flyer
miles,
a
move
that
aims
to
drive
traffic
to
American’s
website
and
the
latest
in
a
series
of
changes
to
the
program.
It
said
it
will
provide
a
list
in
April
of
preferred
travel
agencies
whose
bookings
will
still
be
eligible
for
the
rewards
credits.
Customers
who
buy
basic
economy
tickets
will
only
earn
frequent
flyer
miles
if
they
book
on
American
Airlines’
website.
watch
now
Don’t
miss
these
stories
from
CNBC
PRO:
