When the largest U.S. airline companies take steps that are likely to be unattractive to their passengers, they tend to do so during the same periods of time.
Delta Air Lines (DAL) has now followed other carriers on raising costs for one necessary task travelers have no choice but to engage in.
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In December 2023, Alaska Airlines (AAL) increased its fees for a customer's first checked bag to $35.
JetBlue (JBLU) soon followed, raising its prices to $45 for the first checked bag ($35 if paid in advance) and even more for a second checked bag.
In February, United Airlines (UAL) and American Airlines (AAL) raised their baggage fees as well. Both carriers increased their prices to $40 for the first checked bag, or $35 if passengers pay before getting to the airport.
On Delta, travelers now pay $35 for the first bag and $45 for the second. The carrier said the increase was to help it handle increasing costs of doing business in the airline industry.
Increasing baggage costs create a new problem
With the rising baggage fees, more passengers are traveling lighter, packing larger carry-ons with everything they need on trips.
And airlines aren't equipped with the overhead space to accommodate all that extra luggage. So more travelers with the larger carry-ons are being asked to check them for free.
That reality has created more jockeying among passengers to be among the first to board flights.
Early boarding is usually a perk reserved for people serving in the military, families with young children and people with disabilities.
Some less ethically minded travelers have reportedly resorted to extreme measures, including faking disabilities by carrying a cane or even ordering unneeded wheelchairs to get ahead in line.
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There are more civil ways to board early
People who are more inclined to operate within acceptable behavior standards have a few options they can use to get on airplanes in the first boarding groups.
For example, they can purchase a ticket in a higher fare class. Passengers, in some instances, can also buy add-ons to their ticket that allow for earlier entry to the gate.
Another approach they can use is to explain reasons for their need to board early to a gate agent and see what kind of response they get.
Then, of course, travelers can also simply ask people in front of them.
Some people will be more than happy to allow others to move ahead of them in line. The trick here is to be polite and ask nicely and honestly.
Most passengers are far more receptive to people who earnestly explain their needs rather than those who try to misrepresent themselves in nefarious ways.
As for Delta specifically, the carrier reminds passengers that they are allowed to bring one carry-on bag and one personal item (such as laptop bags and purses that can fit underneath the seat in front of them).
Carry-on bag exceptions apply to passengers traveling with infant-in-arms and also for those carrying pets.
Delta also wants its passengers to remember that flight attendants are not able to assist people with putting carry-on bags into the overhead bins, with some exceptions. This protects the flight attendants from injuries caused be repeated heavy lifting.
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