When it comes to things that annoy travelers about the flying experience, the issue of baggage is pretty high up there. Between high fees and low weight limits, economy travelers in particular feel like they are being squeezed for what used to be seen as a basic part of the ticket.
But while most major U.S. airlines raised the price of a checked bag from $25 to $30 at around the same time following the pandemic and then kept it stable, Alaska Airlines (ALK) -) is taking on the risk of incurring traveler wrath with its latest announcement of a fee increase.
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From Jan. 2, 2024 onwards, the first checked bag for those flying economy and with no additional flyer status or credit card granting them a free bag will have to pay $35 instead of $30. A second bag will now cost $45 instead of $40 while the cost of any additional luggage will stay the same at $150 per bag.
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This is how much you will have to pay for Alaska luggage when flying economy
While only a $5 difference from what customers pay now, the idea of raising prices at all is always a risky PR move — the last time Alaska raised its luggage prices was in 2018 at which time it introduced the tiered system from what used to be $25 for each of the first two bags.
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Travelers who had previously been entitled to a free checked bag will remain so after the change comes into place. Along with two free bags for those traveling in first class, travelers with the Alaska Airlines Visa and Alaska Airlines Visa Business credit cards get their first checked bag free while those with the airline's MVP Gold 100K and MVP Gold 75K Status (attained by flying a respective 100,000 and 75,000 miles with the airline) get as many as three free checked bags on each flight.
"As we navigate rising operating costs – including high fuel prices – we occasionally need to adjust our fee structure to maintain a high level of excellence in the service we provide," Alaska Air Group told media outlet of the changes.
Will more airlines follow suit with raising baggage fees?
In November, Alaska Airlines also raised the price of the program granting travelers access to its airport lounges from $400 to $500 for elite members and from $500 to $600 for non-elite ones (one gains elite status after earning 20,000 miles flying with the airline) even as competitor Delta (DAL) -) found itself in the midst of a major firestorm after cracking down on access after its own SkyClub lounges started to grow crowded.
Alaska's latest decision led some to speculate on whether a similar "domino effect" when it comes to baggage prices could also be on the horizon.
"The airline industry likes to act in unison, and if there's an opportunity to increase revenue somewhere, it's a sure-fire bet airlines will capitalize on it," aviation reporter Tim Jue told The Points Guy. "All it takes is one carrier to take that leap of faith and everyone else usually piles on immediately afterwards."
