The price to check a bag on American Americans is increasing to $35 when prepaid online or $40 when paying at the airport, an increase from the $30 previously charged. However, the fee changes will not affect elite frequent flyers, co-branded credit card holders or premium cabin customers, who will still be able to check bags for free.
The rise in prices can be attributed back to the increasing cost of fuel, said Scott Chandler, American’s Senior Vice President of Revenue Management and Loyalty. “That’s a big component of our costs when we’re carrying bags. We periodically look at all of our costs and where we can sort of help balance cost out with revenues,” he shared.
With the new price structure, however, the charge for oversized or overweight bags will go down to $30 for bags between 50 and 53 pounds and/or up to 3 linear inches over the 62-inch limit. The airline previously charged between $100 and $200 for oversized and overweight bags.
American Airlines also announced that, as of May 1, fliers who book indirectly must do so through one of the company’s preferred agencies in order to earn miles in its AAdvantage program. Chandler noted that 80% of the airline’s customers won’t be affected by this change.
