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Luggage fees expanding to international flights
August 25, 2009

Traveling to Europe this fall on American Airlines? Consider packing light. The carrier will charge economy-cabin passengers $50 each way for a second piece of checked luggage to destinations there.

American joins others recently adding similar fees, a sign that the charges that have proliferated for domestic travel over the past year are starting to turn up on international flights as carriers search for new ways to make money.

The 10 largest U.S. airlines collected $566.3 million in baggage fees during the first quarter of 2009, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. That's a fourfold increase from the year-earlier period, when checked-bag fees for flights within North America hadn't been widely adopted.

"I think we are just at the beginning of international fees," said Henry Hart veldt, travel analyst with Forrester Research Inc. American's new fees will take effect for travel to Europe, India and the Caribbean purchased on or after Sept. 14. Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, which it acquired last year, had added luggage fees on tickets booked to Europe on or after May 23.

Meanwhile, US Airways charges $15 for a first bag and $25 for a second piece of luggage on flights to Latin America. Continental Airlines charges passengers $25 for a second checked bag to the region.

Source :-http://www.chicagotribune.com