United has DESIGNATED that for tickets purchased after April 3, 2026 “fees will increase by $10 for your first and second checked bag and by $50 for your third checked bag in most markets.” Earlier this week JetBlue announced that baggage fees will increase by $5-$9. The odds that American Airlines will increase baggage fees within the next week or two will be about 100%.
Generally, when one airline raises baggage fees, others quickly follow suit. For example, in 2024 JetBlue, United and American Airlines all raised fares. These increased baggage fees are really just fuel surcharges in disguise with the added benefit that it does not affect the elites/cartelists and that there is no pressure or expectation that they will lower these fees when the price of fuel drops.
