American Airlines Raises Bag Check Fees by $5 Apiece
Packing for every occasion? It's soon going to cost you even more. American Airlines announced Thursday that the cost of checked bags will increase by $5 apiece beginning Friday, September 21.
Currently, your first AA checked bag costs $25 and a second bag costs $35 on flights within US territories including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, as well as flights between Canada and the United States. Once the price increase goes into effect, checking those same bags will cost $30 and $40, respectively. Tickets purchased before September 21 will be subject to the previous bag fees. Customers who currently enjoy free checked bag privileges will not be affected.
AA is the latest in a series of US carriers raising the cost of checked bags, although this is the carrier's first checked-bag price increase in eight years.
JetBlue kicked off the latest "race to the bottom" back in August by raising its bag fees from $25 to $30 apiece, with United following suit a few days later. And this past Wednesday, Delta customers received a rude surprise when the carrier stealthily increased its bag fees with no prior warning.
