United Airlines Just Got More Expensive

After an already turbulent start to the year, United Airlines’ flights are about to get more expensive with checked baggage fees rising.

The changes, which have now taken effect, will result in higher pricing for first- and second-checked baggage on domestic and select international routes.

The move isn’t a surprise, despite customer frustration, and now reflects a growing trend across U.S. carriers, who are re-evaluating their fees amid not just operating pressures but also the recent onslaught of conflict in the Middle East, affecting fuel costs and supply.

For United Airlines, amid its own pressures, the move enables greater confidence in revenue despite ongoing hits to the bottom line and is seen as an easier change to make rather than hiking airfares on such short notice.

What’s Happening At United?

In essence, United Airlines has adjusted baggage fees across its flights by roughly 5-10%; the exact percentage depends on flight length and route.

However, passengers flying within the United States should expect to pay around $40 for checked baggage, up from $35, and the second bag is also increasing by around $5, jumping to $50 at the check-in counters.

United says there’ll be only marginal savings for those who choose to book additional checked bags online, as the airline continues to find ways to move customers to digital platforms.

These changes by the U.S. carrier are ultimately their first revision to baggage fees following the COVID-19 pandemic and position them to navigate tighter margins more effectively.

It’s these ancillary streams that airlines focus on increasing before their fares, and while that may come if airlines need, they’ll focus on bags, seats, and other areas first, knowing this will still bring additional revenue.

With pressures rising, especially following the conflict in the Middle East, executives at the airline say this move is just part of efforts to manage inflation better. For the travellers who will take this hit, it’s another layer of cost to crucial air connectivity that must be absorbed amid already extreme circumstances.

United Airlines Already Slashes Flights

United Airlines’ baggage policy changes come immediately after the decision to temporarily cut several routes for the upcoming summer season, as confirmed.

Faced with pressures across the industry, whether from crew shortages and the evolving conflict in the Middle East, deeper network adjustments will see much of the focus placed on routes long perceived as unprofitable and easier to cut.

The reductions, while significant, are part of efforts to stabilise overall reliability and navigate pressures across the industry to maintain on-time perfromance across all services and keep customer satisfaction high.

The slashing of networks across the industry is becoming more common as jet fuel prices surge, and, if not that, airlines are being forced to adjust their own operations because of airspace restrictions and/or volatility in the Middle East, as with Singapore Airlines.

A Theme Across The United States

Furthermore, United Airlines’ baggage policy change represnets the first carrier in the last week alone to adjust its capacity and cost controls.

JetBlue announced it would also raise checked baggage fees as it battles new costs squeezing already-tight margins across key markets.

For these full-service airlines, it can sometimes be easier to absorb the costs that may arise, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still some impact to be felt.

Ultimately, though, it’s for airlines like JetBlue and other low-cost carriers that will really feel the effects of surging costs, as they find ways to absorb the pressure without making major changes that reshape their business models.