A Roundup of Airlines Fees

Airline a la carte pricing can drive you crazy. It can be hard to keep track of which carrier is charging for what. So, many thanks to the good folks at The Middle Seat Terminal for summarizing some of the fees different U.S. airlines are charging in a simple chart. Of the 10 major American airlines listed, all but three—Alaska, JetBlue and Southwest—are not charging for a first checked bag. For the others listed, each airline charges $15 one-way for the first checked bag.

Also, it’s getting more expensive to travel with pets.

In other fee-related news, US Airways has announced that as of March 1, it won’t charge for soft drinks and water anymore on flights. Thank you.

Here’s some more good news: prices to travel by air this summer are far lower than last summer, the AP reports. That’s partly to do with lower fuel prices and thus lower fuel surcharges. “Airlines added fuel surcharges last year as fuel rose to an all-time high in July” the article reports. “Since then, however, fuel prices have fallen about two-thirds, and many carriers have reduced or eliminated the fees.”

It seems to me, though—and I’m just thinking aloud here—that we shouldn’t get too used to these lower fuel prices.

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