AMERICAN AIRLINES IS RAISING BAG FEES AND CHANGING HOW CUSTOMERS EARN FREQUENT-FLYER POINTS

American Airlines is raising the cost of checking bags and it is making other changes to push customers to buy tickets directly from the airline if they want to earn frequent-flyer points.

The airline said this week that checking a bag on a domestic flight will rise from $30 now to $35 online and $40 if purchased at the airport. The fee for a second checked bag will rise from $40 to $45 both online and at the airport.

American last raised bag fees in 2018.

American, based in Fort Worth, Texas, introduced bag fees in 2008 — $15 back then — to cope with the rising cost of jet fuel. Since then, they have become a steady revenue source for most major U.S. carriers. American easily led the industry by raising $1.4 billion in bag fees in 2022, the last year for which U.S. Transportation Department figures are available.

The airline is also raising bag fees by $5 for short international flights including those to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean — now $35 for the first bag and $45 for the second.

The airline will generally allow customers to check at least one bag free if they hold elite status in American’s loyalty program, buy a premium-class ticket or use an Americanbranded credit card.

In January, Alaska Airlines raised its checked-bag fees for most economy passengers from $30 to $35 for a first bag and from $40 to $45 for a second. JetBlue followed this month, raising its fees to $35 and $50.

“Airlines tend to move in herds, so when Alaska recently announced they would be upping their bag fee to $35, there was little doubt other

airlines would soon follow,” said Scott Keyes, founder of the travel site Going. “It’s unlikely American will be the last.”

Keyes noted that American’s decision to charge customers more if they pay bag fees at the airport instead of when they buy their ticket mimics a tactic used by budget airlines such as Spirit and Frontier.