Air journey prices are persevering with to extend amid the war with Iran and ensuing oil disaster. As gasoline prices have climbed, so have airfares—and now, baggage charges are subsequent.
The newest US service to lift its baggage charges is Delta Air Lines, which mentioned it will enhance the price of checking a bag by $10 for tickets bought on or after Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
That signifies that with the brand new charges, vacationers will now pay $45 to check their first bag and $55 for the second bag. “These updates are part of Delta’s ongoing review of pricing across its business and reflect the impact of evolving global conditions and industry dynamics,” a Delta spokesperson tells Traveler. The elevated charges solely apply to home and sure short-haul worldwide flights, so vacationers on long-haul flights can nonetheless examine their first bag free of charge.
Delta isn’t the one US airline charging extra for patrons’ baggage: United and JetBlue already carried out related payment hikes earlier in April.
United additionally raised its baggage charges by $10 for all bookings made on or after April 3, 2026. That means vacationers on home and different short-haul routes will now pay $45 for his or her checked first bag and $55 for the second bag. (Long-haul flights nonetheless embody one free examine bag.)
JetBlue raised its charges by $4 throughout off-peak journey intervals and $9 throughout peak journey intervals. Passengers on home flights and sure short-haul worldwide routes can pay $39 to check a bag throughout slower seasons like winter and $49 throughout busy journey intervals like summer season and round most holidays.
JetBlue’s new coverage is at present in impact for all new bookings. “Adjusting fees for optional services used by select customers, such as checked baggage, allows us to continue offering more competitive fares while delivering the onboard experience our customers love,” says a JetBlue spokesperson.
Delta, United, and JetBlue all supply baggage payment calculators on their websites so passengers can tabulate their potential baggage charges earlier than exhibiting up on the airport. All three airways permit at the least one free checked bag for fliers with elite standing by their loyalty programs, holders of their co-branded credit cards, in addition to for lively responsibility members of the navy.
Looking forward, consultants say it’s possible solely a matter of time earlier than all US airways enhance their checked baggage charges. “I would be more surprised if we didn’t hear about other US carriers following suit at this point,” says Katy Nastro, a journey knowledgeable at Going. “These other carriers have basically given everyone else the green light to follow.”
Even if the warfare ends quickly and oil costs cool, that does not imply airways will convey their baggage charges again down. “Airlines likely had bag fee hikes in their playbook all along, but were waiting for the right moment in the future,” Nastro says. Now, with the rising value of gasoline, carriers “can raise fees, generate extra revenue to cover some additional expense, and remind travelers they aren’t required to check a bag.”