While Delta announced a reduction in award-ticket fuel surcharges, a drop in the telephone reservation fee and the elimination of the curbside check-in fee, they add a first-checked-bag fee. In the end customers lose.
The first-checked-baggage fee proponents have emerged victorious in the battle of luggage fees. Now, with Delta aligning its baggage fees with the old Northwest, all legacy carriers have added the $15 first-checked-bag fee. For anyone who checks one piece of luggage round-trip airfares effectively have gone up $30.
Delta also aligned their second-checked-bag fee to Northwest’s rates by reducing their charges from $50 to $25 and the newly merged airlines eliminated the curbside check-in fee.
Expect some confusion as Delta phases in their changed and new baggage fees. The Delta website foretells a period of clashing fee rules.
Customers who purchased Delta tickets on or before Nov. 5, 2008, and who are traveling on or after Dec. 5, 2008, will be charged $50 for a second bag, but will be permitted to check their first bag without charge pursuant to Delta’s previous policy.
The bottom line, in terms of baggage fees — Delta introduces a new fee, reduces an old fee and eliminates one fee.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
