Fliers will soon have to pay to check a second bag

Fliers will soon have to pay to check a second bag

For those of you that pack more on the heavy side, or even for those that are taking longer trips and need the additional luggage, plan on coughing up $25 each way to check a second bag on United Airlines.

Blame it on the increasingly high costs of jet fuel, said United on Monday as they became the first major U.S. carrier to enforce a fee on domestic travelers who buy the cheapest tickets and check two suitcases. Checking in a third bag will cost an extra $100 each way. Luggage is heavy and additional weight involves more fuel to transport. In the final quarter of 2007, fuel cost United Airlines $1.4 billion, up 26% than the previous year. Fuel, it seems, has been airlines’ largest expense, cutting wages.

New baggage fees will affect United Express and United passengers who aren’t members of United’s Mileage Plus frequent-flier program and who purchase non-refundable economy-class tickets for domestic flights and trips between the U.S. and Canada. Other major airline carriers said they will study United’s move, but would not say whether or not they too would impose similar fees. Airlines are looking for every possible source of revenue they can find as they don’t have the capacity to cut wages even more.

United flew about 68 million passengers in 2007. Generally, about one in four passengers checks more than on bag, said United. They estimate the new fees will generate more than $100 million annually in revenue and savings from fewer checked bags.