The war in Iran has sent jet fuel prices soaring, and you can bet the airlines will pass along as big a share of those costs as possible to the consumer.
That means higher airfares along with the commercial aviation industry's answer to every challenge—higher fees.
Here are the new checked bag fees announced this spring by major U.S. carriers. We'll go airline by airline in the order the increases were implemented.
JetBlue
At the end of March, JetBlue kicked off Fee Fest '26 by hiking its checked luggage fee for a first bag to $39 in "off-peak" periods and $49 during peak periods—provided, that is, you pay for the checked bag at least 24 hours before your flight departs.
Wait until you show up at the airport, and you'll pay $49 for your first bag during off-peak periods and a whopping $59 during peak periods.
Peak periods, as you'd expect, are the busiest travel seasons, such as summer and the end-of-year holidays. The fees we're covering here are for JetBlue's domestic flights as well as service to Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada.
The $39 fee is up from JetBlue's previous charge of $35 for a first checked bag during off-peak times. The peak fee of $49 is up a not-insignificant $9 from the previous charge of $40.
Fees for checking a second bag went up, too. See the airline's website for a full rundown as well as luggage fees for transatlantic flights.
United Airlines
A few days after JetBlue's move, United Airlines announced that, as of April 3, fees for checked bags on its flights have gone up by $10 for the first and second checked bag and by $50 for the third checked bag in most markets (the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Latin America).
So if you prepay online to check one bag in advance, you'll pay $45 (up from $35). The fee for checking a bag within 24 hours of departure, such as at the airport, is now $50 (up from $40).
You can still check a bag for free if you have a United-branded credit card, have acquired MileagePlus Premier loyalty status, or have purchased seats in a premium cabin.
For more information or to calculate bag fees for an upcoming flight, go to United.com.
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines likewise raised its checked bag fees by $10.
That means you'll pay $45 to check a first bag (previously $35) and $55 for a second checked bag (previously $45).
The new rates apply to domestic and short-haul international flights.
There will be no change to baggage fees on long-haul international flights, Reuters reports, and luggage benefits connected to loyalty programs, premium cabins, and Delta-branded credit cards will remain the same, too.
American Airlines
American Airlines is putting its own diabolical spin on the $10 fee increase adopted by its Big Three rivals.
While the carrier is indeed pushing up its fee for checking a bag by that amount for domestic and short-haul international flights, American is making passengers with basic economy tickets pay $5 more on top of that.
The fee for checking a first bag if you're a flyer in standard economy will now be $50 at the airport or $45 if you prepay via American's website or mobile app. A second bag will now set you back $60 at the airport or $55 in advance.
Passengers with basic economy tickets, though, will pay $55 to check a first bag at the airport or $50 in advance online. The fee for checking a second bag in basic economy is $65 at the airport or $55 in advance. The new basic economy luggage fees are for tickets purchased on May 18 and beyond.
Passengers in premium cabins, customers with loyalty-program status, holders of airline-branded credit cards, and active-duty U.S. military personnel will continue to get complimentary checked bags on American Airlines flights.
For more info, go to AA.com.
Southwest Airlines
Though relatively new to the practice of charging passengers to check bags—having abandoned its beloved "bags fly free" policy only in May 2025—Southwest Airlines is clearly getting the hang of no longer standing out from the competition.
Starting April 9, Southwest also boosted its less-than-a-year-old checked bag fees by $10.
Checking a first bag will now cost $45. The charge for a second bag: $55.
Exceptions are for Southwest customers who buy the carrier's most expensive fare type, have loyalty-program status, have Southwest credit cards, or are active-duty military personnel. All those flyers will still get a free checked bag (and, in some cases, two.)
See Southwest's website for the full details.
Alaska Airlines / Hawaiian Airlines
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, which are both owned by Alaska Air Group, raised their luggage fees by $5 for the first checked bag. That will now cost you $45 for a flight with either carrier.
The fee for a second checked bag is now $55, an increase of $10.
The changes do not affect status members of the carriers' loyalty program, Atmos Rewards, or customers with co-branded credit cards.
To see the full baggage policy go to AlaskaAir.com or HawaiianAirlines.com.
Will luggage fees go down if fuel prices do?
Most airlines have cited operating costs (i.e., fuel prices in arm-and-a-leg territory) as the reason for the fee increases.
Does that mean carriers will reduce luggage fees if oil prices decline?
Don't count on it. Airline fees are a strong argument against the notion that what goes up must come down.
An earlier version of this article has been updated with new information.