Q. In February, I booked a ticket for a domestic flight in May by Delta. Recently, I learned that Delta will be charging for second bags for travel after May 1, I was not unduly worried because I had made this reservation in February and I was sure Delta would not be charging those who made reservations before their announcement. But just to be sure I called Delta airlines and was told that my family will have to pay for their second bags. I did a quick check of other airlines who recently added the 2nd bag fee and found that none of them were charging for tickets purchased before the announcements were made. I would never have bought the ticket on Delta if I'd known this.

Can Delta get away with arbitrarily changing their baggage policy for passengers who have already purchased a ticket?

A. Somehow, yes they can. Chalk it up to yet another blow for passenger rights. We can't think of any other industry in which it's acceptable to change the terms of a contract after entering into an agreement. Seems like a pretty basic business no-no to us. Still, if you're stuck with the ticket, you might consider shipping your extra baggage. Sure, you'll still be paying to send extra bags, but at least Delta won't be getting your money, and you may end up spending less than that $50 round-trip baggage fee.