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 | fake images
Delta Airlines and Southwest Airlines are raising checked baggage fees by $10, becoming the third and fourth major U.S. carriers to raise prices as the industry grapples with an increase in jet fuel expenses this year.
“As part of an ongoing analysis of the business and in the evolving global context, Southwest Airlines is increasing its fees on the first and second checked bag by $10, effective on all reservations issued or voluntarily changed beginning April 9, 2026,” Southwest said in a statement.
Southwest Airlines ended its policy allowing all customers to check two bags for free less than a year ago.
The changes would raise the fee for checking a first bag to $45 and $55 for a second bag on each airline.
Delta's changes go into effect with bookings starting Wednesday and apply to domestic flights and shorter flights abroad, but not to long-haul international travel.
“These updates are part of Delta's ongoing pricing review across all of its businesses and reflect the impact of evolving global conditions and industry dynamics,” the airline said in a statement Tuesday.
A third bag on Delta would cost $200 to check.
Last week, united airlines and JetBlue Airways They increased their checked baggage fees. Other traders often follow these price movements.
Jet fuel in major American cities was trading at $4.69 a gallon on Monday, according to Airlines for America, citing data from Argus, an increase of nearly 88% since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. The key Strait of Hormuz shipping channel has remained effectively closed for the past month, choking off global supplies of crude oil and refined fuel.
Delta reports first-quarter results before the market opens on Wednesday, and investors are likely to question executives about how well they are covering the increase in fuel, airlines' biggest expense after labor. Analysts have pointed to strong demand as a remedy for high fuel prices, but it is not clear that airlines will be able to cover all of the fuel price increase.
