Delta raises fees for checked bags

Posted: 3:10 PM, Sep 19, 2018
Updated: 2018-09-19 15:10:09-04
Delta raises fees for checked bags

United and JetBlue did it. Now it's Delta's turn.

The airline on Wednesday quietly raised the prices of the first and second checked bags by $5 each. The first checked bag will now cost $30 -- up from $25 for flights in North America, the Caribbean and Central America. The second checked bag will now cost $40, up from $35.

A Delta spokesperson confirmed the change, telling CNN that it "routinely makes fee adjustments."

Airlines are battling with rising fuel and labor costs and it's taking a toll on their bottom lines .



Delta collected $375 million in baggage fees during the first six months of 2018, according to Bureau of Transportation statistics . That was down 15% from the same period last year. Overall, the US airline industry collected $2.4 billion in the first six months of the year, which was up 7% from the same period a year earlier.

The price hikes by Delta come nearly three weeks after United and JetBlue hiked their baggage prices by $5 each. American Airlines declined to comment if it will follow.

Delta said that passengers can still check bags without paying a fee by having status in its SkyMiles loyalty program, flying in first class or booking the flight with an eligible SkyMiles credit card from American Express.