Major US airline increases baggage fees by $5 a bag - after similar hikes by rivals last month

Delta has become the latest airline to hike its baggage fees - the third major US carrier to do so in the last two weeks. 

The fee for both a first and second checked bag will increase by $5 for domestic and short-haul international routes - which is $10 more for a round-trip.

Travelers will now pay $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second. A family of four going on vacation for spring break - taking a bag each - will now pay $280 for baggage on top of the price of their tickets. 

It is the first time Delta has increased the price of baggage since 2018, which the company said will help it keep up with rising industry costs. 

It comes weeks after American Airlines sparked backlash by raising its checked baggage fees for the first time in six years, a move which was promptly followed by United Airlines. 

Delta has become the latest airline to hike its baggage fees - the third major carrier to do so in the last two weeks 

Last month, American announced passengers will now have to pay $40 to check a bag at the airport for domestic flights, or $35 if they pay online in advance.

The airline also overhauled its frequent flyer program to push customers into buying tickets directly from the carrier. 

Less than a week later United Airlines raised the price of checked bags by $5 for passengers traveling in economy on domestic flights. 

JetBlue in early February and Alaska Airlines in January also announced comparable increases to baggage fees.

It is the first time Delta has increased the price of baggage since 2018 (pictured: CEO Ed Bastian)

Delta announced that the raised fee will not apply to customers in first class, or members of its SkyMiles Medallion loyalty program.

These customers will continue to receive their allotment of complimentary bags. 

It also reassured customers that the increased charge will not apply to tickets purchased before the new rule kicked in on Tuesday. 

Charging for bags is a tactic that began with budget carriers like Spirit and Frontier over 15 years ago. 

Delta, American and United used to include baggage within the price of a fare, but all now impose extra charges. 

Airlines including Delta, United and American pocketed a staggering $33.3 billion from just baggage fees last year

Much-hated add on fees have long been a way for airlines to add revenue and offset rising fuel and labor costs. 

Airlines including Delta, United and American pocketed a staggering $33.3 billion from just baggage fees last year - a sharp 15 percent rise from $29 billion in 2022.

This is according to a study of the 20 biggest global airlines by car rental service CarTrawler and CarTrawler and airline consulting firm IdeaWorksCompany.

This sum is solely made up of fees from larger carry-on bags, standard checked baggage fees, and fines for overweight or extra large checked bags, and accounted for 4.1 percent of global airline revenue in 2023.

'Baggage fees, once dominant, now share the stage with assigned seating revenue, reflecting changing consumer behaviors,' said Aileen McCormack, from CarTrawler.

It was back in 2019 that the numbers last broke $30 billion when the airlines racked up $32.9 billion in baggage revenue. 

That number was cut in half by the pandemic in 2020 when it plummeted to $16.9 billion with borders closed around the world.

As things opened up in 2021 that figure rose to $20.9 billion and made up 4.6 percent of total airline revenue - the highest percentage in the last 5 years.