April 2 (UPI) — United Airlines on Thursday said that checking baggage will soon cost more per bag because of rising fuel costs, making it the second airline to increase fees this week.
United’s price hikes for checking bags follows JetBlue increasing the price for checked bags earlier this week for the same reason.
The cost of jet fuel has increased roughly 80% since the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran started, and gone up even more since Iran has choked off the Strait of Hormuz in response.
“United is raising first and second checked bag fees by $10 for customers traveling in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, and Latin America beginning with tickets purchased Friday, April 3,” CNBC reported the airline as saying.
The new fees for people flying on United will be $45 for a first bag if it is paid for more than 24 hours before a flight or $50 within 24 hours of takeoff, and a second bag will cost $55 ahead of time or $60 within 24 hours of takeoff, CBS News reported.
JetBlue’s new prices took effect on Monday, with people paying $4 more on off-peak travel dates — $39 for a first bag and $59 for a second — while those traveling on peak dates will see a $9 increase for each bag, to $49 and $69, Fast Company reported.
Earlier this year, American Airlines raised its price for a second checked bag by $5 and Southwest Airlines last year started charging for check bags for the first time in its 50-year history.
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