Delta Air Lines is hiking its fees for checked bags by $5, following similar moves by other airlines.
The Atlanta-based airline said for tickets purchased starting Tuesday, March 5, its fee for a first checked bag will increase to $35, from $30 previously.
Its fee for a second checked bag will increase to $45, from $40 previously. The higher fees apply to Delta passengers taking U.S. domestic flights and many flights to the Caribbean and Central America.
It’s the first time Delta has increased its checked bag fees for U.S. domestic flights since 2018. The company said the fee hike “will help Delta stay apace with rising industry costs.”
However, Delta said its checked bag fees for flights to Mexico and many destinations in South America will not change. Checked bag fees for flights to Mexico, for example, remain $30 for the first bag and $55 for the second bag.
Delta’s fee hike comes after United, American and JetBlue also raised their checked bag fees in the last several weeks, though with varying rates, policies and exceptions.
Not everyone pays fees for checked bags. On Delta, those with certain SkyMiles American Express cards get a checked bag fee waiver as well as those who are elite-level SkyMiles members or flying in first class, Delta One business class or Premium Select class.
Airlines collected more than $5 billion in baggage fees in the first nine months of 2023, according to the most recent federal data available.
During that period, American collected more than $1 billion in bag fees, United brought in more than $921 million and Delta reported more than $738 million in bag fees.
Other carriers including Spirit and Frontier also brought in hundreds of millions in bag fees in the first three quarters of the year. Spirit and Frontier charge for carry-on baggage as well as checked bags.
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