Airline baggage fees are soaring in 2024 — here’s how to avoid paying sky-high rates
Talk about emotional baggage.
Travelers are reeling after airlines including JetBlue, United, and American recently raised the cost of checking bags — with even higher rates in store for those who wait to pay at the airport, CNBC reported.
American Airlines recently announced that coach travelers would pay $35 to check a bag ahead of time online for domestic flights as opposed to $40 at the airport. Only recently, a first bag cost $30.
“It allows our team members to spend more time with customers who require additional assistance with their travel journey,” a company spokeswoman told CNBC. The company claimed it is cutting customers some slack in other areas, reducing fees for bags that come in slightly overweight.
Frontier Airlines passengers in 2024 face paying anywhere from $49 for a first checked bag, paid in advance, to $99 for that same piece of luggage if you wait to pay at the gate.
CEO Barry Biffle justifies that carrier’s in-person fee increase as a way to make everyone’s lives easier.
“It incentivizes people to get the transaction out of way. It’s easier for them, and honestly, it’s easier for us,” he said. Biffle added that spending less time on last-minute baggage checks can also allocate more resources for flyers “who need legitimate assistance.”
Checked bags have become a major, flying cash cow in recent years, with U.S. airlines alone raking in over $5.4B from baggage fees during the first three quarters of 2023.
That number is up 25% from the same nine-month span in 2019, CNBC reported, using Department of Transportation data.
Other research found that the top 20 global airlines netted nearly $34B from those fees only recently.
JetBlue, recently ranked the worst major airline of 2023, admitted that boosting bag fees can help get airlines stay the course financially.
“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,” the airline wrote in a statement.
JetBlue passengers now pay $45 for the first checked bag, a $10 increase, according to CNBC.
“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,” the airline said.
