New York
CNN
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A United Airlines round-trip ticket from Denver to Dallas in late March is advertised for $91. But checking one bag at the airport both ways will cost an extra $80 — nearly as much as the flight.
Checked bag fees are hitting record highs as airlines up the ante. Bag fees are lucrative revenue for airlines and a way to save on taxes, airline experts say.
Last week, American Airlines said it was raising luggage fees by $5. American will charge $40 for customers who don’t first prepay online and $35 if they do. United, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines have also announced fee increases this year. (Southwest is the only airline that does not charge for checking bags. Delta charges $30 for a first checked bag, but has not raised its prices since 2018.)
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Luggage fees feel like they’ve been around forever, but they are a relatively new phenomenon. In 2008, American became the first major US airline to charge customers for checking a bag, instituting a $15 fee….
