Keeping Track of Baggage Fee Hikes

Q. Quite by accident, I came across the news that American Airlines is raising its checked baggage fees in February, this time to $25.  I didn't see that mentioned on Airfarewatchdog, but I was out of town recently and might have missed it.  Can you publish an updated baggage fee chart?

A. We’ve been writing about these increase fees extensively, and we have indeed published an updated baggage fee chart. You can find it here (or you can always google “airline baggage fees” and it should be the very first search result). Many airlines have raised the first and second checked bag fees for domestic travel by $5 dollars. Only Southwest Airlines, of the major U.S.-based carriers, does not charge a fee for the first two checked bags. You can save $2-$3 on Continental, Delta, United and US Airways by paying the fee online, but American does not offer this discount.