Major Airlines Raise Checked Bag Fees in Lockstep as Jet Fuel Costs Spike

Checked baggage fees rose across nearly every major US airline this spring in a tightly clustered sequence: JetBlue moved first in late March, United followed on April 3, and Delta and Southwest both raised fees on April 8. The moves brought the first checked bag to roughly $45 and a second bag to about $55 at United, Delta, and Southwest, with American Airlines charging $50 for a first bag (or $45 if paid online in advance).

Airlines have pointed to a sharp increase in jet fuel costs as the primary driver, with fuel prices in major US markets climbing to nearly $4.88 a gallon in early April amid geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East, up from roughly $2.50 a gallon before the conflict began.

The fee increases mark a further retreat from Southwest's long-standing two-free-checked-bags policy, which the airline ended for most fare types in 2025. Only its highest fare tier and top-level frequent flyers still receive free checked bags under the current structure.

Travel advisors say the near-simultaneous timing of the increases across competing carriers has left flyers with little ability to shop around for lower baggage costs, since nearly every major airline adjusted pricing within the same two-week window.