American Raises Bag Fees, Matching Competition

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

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You may have had a day off in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, but American Airlines was hard at work raising your bag fees. Following a trend kicked off by Delta almost two weeks ago, American raised its fees to $25 for the first bag and $35 for the second—becoming the latest and last legacy carrier to adopt the new fees.

American’s new charges affect all tickets purchased on or after February 1.

One notable difference between American’s fees and those of it’s legacy-line competition is the absence of an online discount. Delta, Continental, United, and US Airways all deduct a few dollars from the fee when you pay it online. That said, the discount isn’t what it used to be, dropping from $5 to $2 or $3 with this latest round of fee hikes.

To keep up with all the fees, new and old, check out our Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees.

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