Bob CollinsThe cost of checking your bags is going up.
Delta has apparently joined the move this week to raise the price of checked baggage by $5 per bag.
A note on the company’s Web site says:
For tickets purchased on or after July 16, 2009 for travel on or after August 4, 2009 there will be a $5 surcharge on each of the first two checked bags when checking in via ticket counter, kiosk, or curbside. There is no surcharge for bags prepaid during online check-in at delta.com.
That would increase the fees to $20 for the first bag, $30 for the second.
American is the only major airline that — so far — hasn’t joined in on the baggage fee increase.
Meanwhile, a lawsuit in Nevada is alleging the airlines colluded to raise the fees since their inception during the high point in the spike of jet fuel.
Discussion point: Have you changed your flying habits since the airlines started charging for baggage? Anecdotally, I noticed during a trip to the airport a couple of weeks ago that there was a lot less baggage on the carousels, indicating that people are packing lighter or jamming more stuff into carry-on.
