Wallet watch: Dig deeper for more airline baggage fees

The bean counters who run the airlines continue to claim that their parade of baggage fees is adding to their cash flow. The credulous general media continue to report the claim of a $2 billion influx to the carriers’ bottom line. The truth, of course, is far different: Overall revenue figures conclusively show the airlines that have been fastest to raise baggage fees are also the carriers that have been hemorrhaging revenue the fastest. Still, what do facts matter to airlines that seem content to pave a quick road to their own oblivion? So here are the new bag fees:

• Virgin America has raised its checked bag fee to $20 each for any bag you check.
• American, Continental and US Airways have matched the $50 fee for the second checked bags on European flights, a charge pioneered by Delta Air Lines and recently matched by British Airways.
• US Airways also raised its domestic bag fees. It is now $25 for the first bag and $30 for the second bag if you check them at the airport and $20/$25 if you check them online.
• Frontier Airlines raised its first checked bag fee to $20 and its second checked bag fee to $30.

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Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.