Increased Baggage Fees Coming to Air Canda, JetBlue & WestJet

Updated | January 2020

JetBlue Airways is hiking its checked baggage fees for the second time in two years. Passengers will have to pay $35 for their first checked bag, up from $30. A second checked bag will cost $45, also up from $30.

Airline baggage fees are coming! Just kidding, they have been around for forever with most airlines. But, some airlines are even charging more for airline baggage fees. They are saying that as the cost of fuel goes up, their expenses also go up. This makes perfect sense, except that fuel costs have gone up and down. The rates of baggage increases are moving up faster than the rate of fuel.

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Three more airlines will start charging more for airline bags this month and next month. These airlines include Air Canda, JetBlue & WestJet, in addition to RyanAir. Pack accordingly and try to save some money by packing less, use packing cubes to organize and de-clutter your suitcase.

Read More: Ryanair New Baggage Policy

Both Air Canada and WestJet are raising their checked baggage fees to $30, up from $25. They are charging an additional $50 for the second checked bag.

The story is very similar with Air Canada, their cost will also be $30 CAD/USD for the first checked bag and $50 CAD/USD for the second checked bag:

After taxes, international flights from Canada to the US will cost $31.50 for the first checked bag and $52.50 for the second checked bag:

In a statement, an Air Canada spokesperson justifies the move by pointing out that “this is the first change since 2014 and will help offset overall increasing costs and keep overall ticket prices competitive.”

WestJet

WestJet’s increased checked baggage fees are going into effect on October 1. An exemption is made for tickets purchased before August 24. Passengers who are traveling after October 1 but purchased their tickets before August 24 are instructed to “see an airport agent for the grandfathered fee.”

A WestJet spokesperson toes the same extra-fees-keep-fares-low line we’ve come to expect from airlines: “By raising fees for optional services, such as checked bags, we can continue to maintain the lower fares our guests expect.”

JetBlue

Last week, we shared the scoop that JetBlue was planning to raise checked baggage fees. Sure enough, days before it was rumored to go into effect, JetBlue has implemented its new checked baggage fees:

• First checked bags (20% more for Blue fares)
• Second checked bags (14% more for Blue and Blue Plus fares)
• Third checked bags (50% more for all fares)
• Overweight/oversized bags (50% more for all fares)
• Sports equipment (100% more for all fares)

The changes went into effect for tickets purchased on or after Tuesday, August 27:

What do you think about the extra baggage fees? Will you find another airline to use?