International Baggage Fees Going Up, Again

ByEdward Pizzarello

United has now matched some increases Delta put in place recently for checked baggage fees.

On most trans-Atlantic flights, passengers will pay $100 to check a second bag, up from $70.  The first bag is free as long as it’s not oversized or overweight.

In comparison, American Airlines charges $60 for a second bag and US Airways charges $70.  I would expect both to match the Delta and UA changes since the legacy airlines mostly move in lockstep on such things, although AA may trail the decision in case it blows up.  They have enough negative sentiment with the BK filing right now.

Premium travelers generally get a more generous baggage allowance than occasional fliers and I rarely check bags anyway, so I doubt I’ll run into these fees.  But, there is a lot of “fee creep” and sooner or later it’s bound to pop up on something all of us use take for granted as free (or included in the price of our ticket).

My goal in life is to fill my family’s passports with stamps, creating buckets of memories along the way. You’ll find me writing about realistic ways for normal people to travel the world, whether you’re on a budget or enjoy luxury. I also enjoy taking us on the occasional detour to explore the inner workings of the travel industry.

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