Midwest has upped its baggage fee by $5 on flights booked after September 1 for travel on or after October 1. The new fees are $20 each way for the first bag (up from $15), and $30 for the second (up from $25). Every bag after that will cost you $50 a bag, which is actually lower than it used to be.
Midwest’s fee bump mirrors the baggage fee increase Frontier instituted back in early September. But this is part of a larger industry trend of slowly inching up baggage fees. Last month, American and US Airways raised their first and second bag fees by $5. Virgin America raised its bag check fee to $20 a bag (for up to 10 bags). Five more airlines started charging for the second checked bag on international flights. And, stealing the spotlight yet again, Ryanair raised its first-checked-bag fee to $50, creating a decent chance that your ticket will be the cheapest part of your flight on the European low-cost carrier.
Is it surprising that baggage fees seem to be creeping ever upwards, $5 at a time? Not really. After all, baggage fees have yielded the airline industry an extra $669 million in the second quarter of 2009 alone. But when will it stop? Before or after checked baggage becomes a luxury only a few can afford?
We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
Related
Top Fares From
Today's Top Travel Deals
Brought to you by ShermansTravel
Greece: 9-Night Vacation, Incl. Meteora &...
Exoticca
vacation $2099+Top-Rated Hilton Hotels Across Ireland w/WiFi...
Hilton
hotel $132+Amsterdam to Copenhagen: Luxe, 18-Night Northern...
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
cruise $12399+