American raising checked-bag fees, joining Delta, United
An American Airlines flight departs McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Sunday, January 28, 2018. Richard Brian/Las Vegas Review-Journal @vegasphotograph
FORT WORTH, Texas — It’s official: It will cost you more to check a bag on any of the three biggest U.S. airlines.
American Airlines said Thursday that it is raising fees for checking bags by $5 apiece each way, matching Delta and United.
The first bag is now $30 and the second is $40. Those are each way, so checking two bags on a round trip will cost $140. High-spending frequent flyers and customers who book with the airline’s credit card typically avoid the fees.
JetBlue, Air Canada and WestJet also have raised bag fees. Southwest lets customers check one or two bags free.
U.S. airlines get about a quarter of their revenue from fees. Last year, they took in $7.4 billion from fees on checked bags and ticket changes, led by American.
