The U.S. Airlines Cashing In The Most On Baggage Fees

All travelers hate baggage fees and U.S. airlines have been steadily increasing them for years. New data from the Bureau of Transportation reveals just how much they're stowing away and it's a lot. Last year, total baggage fee revenue among 11 major carriers in the U.S. totaled $4.9 billion, an increase on $4.6 billion in 2017. A whole host of airlines continued to put up their fees in 2018 includeing America, United, Delta and Jetblue.

There was a time when the baggage situation was very different. Back in 2010, those same 11 airlines made $2.3 billion from baggage fees, less than half the 2018 figure. American cashed in the most on all of that luggage, making $1.22 billion. That is more than twice what it brought in back in 2010 when revenue from baggage fees totaled $580 million.