United Airlines to charge fee for second checked bag on flights to Europe, Caribbean and Mexico

United Airlines has announced that it will charge fees for a second checked bag for many of its international flights.In a press release, United Airlines, Chicago, the United States and a subsidiary of UAL Corporation, said it will charge $50 as fee for second checked bag for economy-class passengers flying to Europe, and $30 for flights to the Caribbean and Mexico.

According to United Airlines, passengers flying on trans-Atlantic routes will have to pay $50 for a second bag at the airport, or $45 if the ticket is bought on the airline’s website.

The new charges will apply to tickets bought on or after September 30, 2009, for travel on or after December 15, 2009.

However, certain categories of passengers are exempted from the fees for the second checked baggage – these include members of Mileage Plus with Premier Associate status or higher, passengers holding Star Alliance silver or gold status, as well as active personnel of the US military travelling on orders.

Now, with United Airlines – which has been holding out so far – joining in, all major United States-based airlines are charging for a second bag for flights to Europe. The carriers include Delta Air Lines, Continental Airlines and US Airways.

American Airlines – unlike United Airlines – has not so far charged fees for a second checked bag on its flights to Moscow.

US Airways now charges $55 for the second bag at the airport, and $50 if the passenger checks in on its website.

Continental Airlines has excluded Brazil from its fee of $25 for the second checked bag on its flights to Europe and South America.

Commenting on United Airlines’ announcement to start charging passengers for a second checked bag, the newspaper Chicago Tribune wrote that, “the lone US-based airline to buck the trend of charging international passengers to check baggage is now joining the fee-for-all.”

All major United States-based carriers except United Airlines already charges baggage fees on trans-Atlantic flights in what they describe as an effort to increase revenues, regain money lost through discounting as well as to offset a decrease in business-class travel.

According to IdeaWorks, a consulting firm based in Wisconsin, the United States, airlines worldwide earned a combined sum of $10.25 billion in 2008 from charging fees for checked s baggage, from premium-class seats and from fees for changes to reservations. This figure is up from the $1.72 billion the airlines raised in 2006.