Jetblue And American Increase Fees, Airlines Dream Up More

The airline fees just keep edging up. Jetblue has increased the 2nd checked bag fee to $35 from $30. They have also increased the fee for their “Even More Legroom” seats by $5. Not wanting to be left out, American is increasing the fee for making a reservation by phone to $25 from $20. With fuel costs rising, airlines are looking for ways to increase revenue without increasing airfare, as they’ve already done that six times this year already. They use fuel costs as the reason, but you know if the price of fuel drops, they’re not going to cut back on fees. And according to the Journal, airlines are looking for more ways to add fees, like a surcharge for a chair that reclines more, a champagne brunch fee, or blizzard insurance.

To compare fees across airlines and see which one will ding you the most, check out this “Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees” compiled by SmarterTravel. As of this writing, it was last updated March 10 and they seem to be refreshing it pretty regularly.

Airlines readying a new round of fees [USA Today]
Airlines to Load On More Fees [WSJ]

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