Luggage Fees by Airline

One of the first travel factors to sky rocket in price in the recession is luggage fees. Airlines are facing increased expenses, mostly from growing fuel costs, and bad PR from a number of recent mishaps. They have likely conducted market studies showing the cost of tickets cannot go much higher without people deciding to stop purchasing them. The solution? Across the board the solution has been increases in hidden fees. Some airlines are much more egregious offenders than others.

Leaders in Luggage Fees
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics provides accurate information on all fees assessed by airlines over the past year. In a 2009 study, the Bureau reported the following luggage fee assessments:
1. American Airlines - $108,117,000
2. Delta Air Lines - $102,838,000
3. US Airways - $94,227,000
4. United Airlines - $59,102,000
5. Northwest Airlines - $59,786,000
6. Continental Airlines - $55,616,000
7. AirTran Airways - $30,881,000
8. JetBlue Airways - $12,603,000
9. Frontier Airlines - $12,456,000
10. Southwest Airlines - $5,982,000

Leaders in Passenger Carry
In what will come as no shock to those who have followed Southwest’s success in the industry, the airline additionally maintains the highest passenger numbers. Southwest has long been thought of as the only airline in the industry that turns a consistent profit. The Bureau reported the following in terms of numbers of passengers transported:
1. Southwest Airlines
2. American Airlines
3. Delta Air Lines
4. United Airlines
5. US Airways
6. Continental Airlines
7. Northwest Airlines
8. AirTran Airways
9. JetBlue Airways
10. SkyWest

American Airlines still maintains a greater share of the flight market than Southwest, but only by just a touch, and its profits routinely fall short of Southwest’s annual returns. The moral of the story here is that luggage fees alone will not boost your profits. To those airlines who assess hidden fees, reconsider how you can gain loyal customers who will come to you first even if the ticket price is a little higher. This is what Southwest has done, and, in fact, their ticket prices are often the lowest.

Avoiding Hidden Fees
Ideally, you will locate a Southwest flight with no hidden fees at a low rate heading directly to your destination. In the real world, though, this is not always possible. You may have to hop a flight on the dreaded American Airlines, as so many of us do, to get where you are going. Read the baggage and fees policy before flying. Often, you may check one bag for free. American charges $15 for the first checked bag, making carrying on an attractive option. If you are travelling as a family, work to negate the total number of checked bags. Wear your heaviest, bulkiest clothes and assure each member of the family has the allotted 2 carry-ons. Most importantly, invest in a luggage scale. Narrowing all of your belongings into one bag will only save you money if you are not assessed additional fees for the weight of your bag. You can get luggage scales at nearly any airport store, but we recommend purchasing a quality piece. It often comes down to mere ounces of the standard 50 pound allotment.

Tags: Cheap travel, hidden fees, luggage fees