Airlines Raked in $3.3 Billion in Baggage Fees Last Year

This will not make flyers very happy. U.S. domestic airlines raked in $3.35 billion in baggage fees last year, according to statistics released by the Bureau of Transportation.

While that’s down four percent from 2012’s total for baggage fees, it nonetheless represents more than a quarter of the airlines’ total profit in 2013 – which certainly explains why you’re paying for that second, third and fourth bag, and why anything over 50 pounds also earns you a fee.

Ancillary fees have become a huge part of the airlines’ bottom line, so much so that baggage fees alone are up 89 percent from what they were just four years ago, according to Marketwatch.

Leading the way this year was Delta Air Lines, which took in $833 million in baggage fees. Here’s a quick look at the top five:

1) Delta – $833 million
2) United – $624 million
3) US Airways – $527 million
4) American – $505 million
5) Spirit – $211 million

The fees won’t be going away anytime soon, either. Frontier Airlines announced recently it would begin charging for carry-on bags.

Source: Travel Pulse, http://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/airlines-raked-in-33-billion-in-baggage-fees-last-year.html