For those preparing to fly trans-Atlantic on a United flight, you might want to think about packing efficiently. The airline has announced that it will raise the cost of a second checked bag on such flights from $70 to $100, the Chicago Tribune reports.
"This change reflects an increase in costs associated with carrying bags, such as fuel and handling," the airline said in a statement, according to UPI. Last year, the charge had been increased from $50 to $70.
In 2011, United also did away with baggage fee discounts for those who paid for their luggage online.
"It wouldn't be surprising to see American Airlines and US Airways raise the same fee in the near future," airline analyst Hunter Keay told the Tribune. "Those airlines currently charge $60 and $70, respectively, for the same checked bag."
United's revenue is expected to increase by $30 million annually, thanks to the new charges. In May, it was revealed, however, that the airlines made less money in 2011 in bag fees than they did in 2010, signalling perhaps that fliers were packing lighter and learning to carry-on.
United isn't the only airline to play the baggage fee game. Delta increased its checked bag fee from $75 to $100 earlier this year, notes The Consumerist. The airline also made a bit of a gaffe when it charged a soldier's unit $2,800 in excess baggage fees on returning from Afghanistan.
Low-cost carrier Allegiant Air even instituted a carry-on bag fee back in April, with Spirit Airlines following suit a month later. Spirit has also introduced a fee to retrieve boarding passes.
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