A Delta Air Lines Airbus A350 aircraft lands at Los Angeles International Airport after arriving from Atlanta on March 7, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images
delta airlines and southwest airlines As the industry grapples with rising jet fuel costs this year, the third and fourth major U.S. airlines are raising prices, increasing checked baggage fees by $10.
“As part of an ongoing analysis of our business and in response to changing global conditions, Southwest Airlines is increasing the price of first and second checked bags by $10, effective for all reservations ticketed or voluntarily modified after April 9, 2026,” Southwest Airlines said in a statement.
Southwest Airlines ended its policy of giving all customers two free checked bags less than a year ago.
The change means each airline’s first checked bag fee will be $45 and the second bag fee will be $55.
Delta’s changes go into effect with reservations starting Wednesday and apply to short-haul domestic and international flights, but not long-haul international travel.
“These updates are part of Delta’s ongoing review of pricing across our business to reflect the impact of evolving global conditions and industry trends,” the airline said in a statement Tuesday.
Delta charges $200 to check a third bag.
last week, united airlines and jet blue airlines We have increased our checked baggage fees. Other carriers often follow these pricing moves.
Jet fuel costs $4.69 a gallon in major U.S. cities, an increase of nearly 88% since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, Airlines for America said Monday, citing Argus data. The Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping route, has remained effectively closed for the past month, disrupting global supplies of crude oil and refined fuels.
Delta Air Lines will report first-quarter results before the market opens on Wednesday, but investors are likely to question executives about how well they are covering rising fuel costs, the airline’s biggest expense after payroll. Analysts point to strong demand as a relief from high fuel prices, but it’s not clear whether airlines will be able to cover the entire fuel price hike.
