Oneworld member American Airlines recently significantly increased the fees it charges for carrying bags left at the check-in counter. According to their own information, they are turning the price screw for the first time in five years.
It used to be common practice around the world for at least 20 kilograms of luggage to be included. The number of suitcases did not matter as long as the total weight was not exceeded. Later came the so-called piece concept, in which only one piece of luggage was included. For many providers, this was allowed to weigh a maximum of 23 kilograms and if you have a second suitcase with you, you will be asked to pay, at least in economy class. This then led to tariffs in which no checked baggage was included at all and an additional charge had to be paid from the very first suitcase. This “trend” first developed in the USA and has now become the “industry standard” in Europe.
These are hidden price increases. Most carriers claim that they have reduced the price of the flight itself and only those who really want to check in luggage have to pay for it, but this is only a protective claim when you compare the development of average prices. How much extra you have to pay can vary. Some providers charge fixed additional fees depending on the flight duration, while for others the pricing is dynamic and therefore unclear.
According to a report from Simpleflying.com, American Airlines now charges at least $35 for the first suitcase when booking online and $45 for the second. When registering at the airport, additional fees of at least five US dollars apply. Significantly higher rates apply on long-haul flights. According to the report, the carrier is now the US airline with the highest baggage fees.
In the United States of America, some media fear that American Airlines could start a trend. Due to sometimes fierce competition, baggage fees have stagnated for several years. Apparently no provider wanted to be the first to increase the price. Now the Oneworld member has taken this step. Experience has shown that in aviation it doesn't take very long for the competition to catch up because you don't want to miss out on additional cash.
The other US providers are still cautious, but local media reports say that a whole avalanche of price increases for checking in suitcases can be expected. As is often the case: one person starts and everyone else follows suit. Will it really happen? The next few days, weeks and months will probably show that.