Official figures from the US Departmenmt of Transport’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics show US airlines have earned $2.5 billion so far in 2010 on baggage fees alone. This is a 22.5% raise over the same period last year.
And fees will continue to climb as long as the market will bear it, said Michael Boyd, president of Boyd Group International, an aviation consulting firm.
Delta Air Lines was the highest earner pocketing $733 million so far this year, up from $481 million in 2009.
Cancellation and change fees earnings were also up by almost doublw since 2007. The charges for 2010 total $1.7 billion so far.
Delta Air Lines again was the highest earner, with American and United Airlines runners up.