Packing up: Baggage fees for major airlines are set to rise

2/22/24 7:00PM

Bags secured

‍Bad news just landed if traveling light isn’t exactly your forte: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and low-cost carrier JetBlue Airways have all announced that they’re raising baggage fees this year, with others predicted to follow.

The price hikes are landing in the $5-10 zone across a range of both domestic and international flights, with American Airlines explaining that the raises are a result of “inflation, fuel costs, and increased operating costs” in a statement to Newsweek on Wednesday.

‍Let’s unpack…

‍In the last 15 years, airlines have increasingly leaned on baggage charges as an opportunity to cash in. Data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics reveals that US airlines raked in a total ~$6.8 billion in baggage fees in 2022, with 2023 figures tracking even higher over the first 9 months of the year —15 years ago, BTS attributed just $1.1 billion to baggage fees.

Of course, not all airlines lump costly luggage fees onto customers. Southwest and its famously generous 2-bags-free policy, for example, made just $66m in bag revenue for 2022 from more than 157 million passengers. Meanwhile, "lower cost" carriers like Frontier and Spirit made $745m and $933m, respectively, from less than 65 million passengers between them.

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JetBlue is raising its bag fees as fuel costs squeeze airlines

JetBlue will reportedly hike its bag fees, as the cost of jet fuel continues to climb amid the war in Iran. It’s the latest example of carriers finding ways to push rising costs onto travelers.

Last week, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that if fuel prices remain elevated, fares would need to rise another 20% for his airline to break even this year.

As CNBC reported, when one airline raises fees, others tend to follow.

Earlier this month, JetBlue hiked its first-quarter outlook for operating revenue per seat mile to between 5% and 7%, saying that strong Q1 demand helped “partially offset additional expenses realized from operational disruptions and rising fuel costs.” Now, the carrier appears to be making moves to further boost revenue to offset those costs.

Earlier on Monday, JetBlue rival Alaska Air lowered its Q1 profit forecast. The refining margins for the carrier’s cheapest fuel option — sourced from Singapore and representing about 20% of Alaska’s overall supply — have spiked 400% since February.

JetBlue did not immediately respond to a request for comment.