Airline Checked Bag, Reservation Change Fees Just Hit a Record

June 22, 2015

The U.S. passenger aviation industry set new records in the first quarter of 2015 for checked bag and reservation change fees, according to the Associated Press.

Airlines made $1.6 billion from those fees, the highest amount for a first quarter since bag fees were introduced in 2008.

Part of the reason for the climb is simply that more people are flying, with 3.2% more seats filled year-over-year, according to the report. Airlines are putting the fees on more passengers, though, and fees are getting higher — the AP notes that some fees can reach a whopping $200.

Over the past 12 months, the airline industry has pulled in $3.6 billion in checked bag fees and $3 billion is reservation change fees, the AP said.

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