United Airlines has apologized to the passenger involved and given her a $500 travel voucher. (iStock)
United Airlines has officially hiked prices for checked bags and effectively made the high skies a slightly pricier place.
The Chicago-headquartered carrier announced on Aug. 31 that the price of a first checked bag would increase from $25 to $30, while the price of a second checked bag would hop from $35 to $40.
“As we continue to make investments that make travel on United better, we are making adjustments to our checked bag fees in select markets -- most of which have not been changed for the past eight years,” a United rep said of the news. (iStock)
The fees cover flights in North and Central America and the Caribbean. However, second-bag fees to flights to and from Canada have also been hiked to $50, as per Forbes.
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“As we continue to make investments that make travel on United better, we are making adjustments to our checked bag fees in select markets — most of which have not been changed for the past eight years,” a United rep told Bloomberg of the news.
Similarly, just days before, JetBlue increased baggage fees by a hefty 20 percent, to a (momentary) industry high of $30 for the first checked bag, Forbes reports.
As of press time, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines still charge $25 for the first checked bag for domestic flights.
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Airlines have steadily increased revenue from extra charges on things like baggage, ticket changes, nicer seats and early boarding.
Last year, U.S. airlines raised $7.4 billion from fees on checked bags and ticket changes, led by American, Delta and United.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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