Question Of The Day: If You Bought A Roundtrip Ticket On United Airlines And Checked Two Bags Weighing 60lbs Each, How Much Would It Cost You?

Knowing how much fees add up for your trip is now more important than ever in the final cost of you airline ticket.

On September 15, 2008, United Airlines announced that for tickets purchased after today that customers checking a second bag will be charged $50 per all flights beginning November 10, 2008.

Delta Airlines is the only other major airline that charges $50 for the second bag. Delta Airlines however, is the only legacy airline (not including Southwest) that DOES NOT charge for the first bag.

Three major airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, fly nonstop between Chicago and Indianapolis and are charging $118 roundtrip with a 21 day advance purchase. If you bought a ticket today for travel after November 10, 2008 and checked two bags on Southwest Airlines, both bags weighing 60lbs each would cost you an extra $100 roundtrip for the two 60lbs bags. If you checked the same two bags on American Airlines, you would be charged an extra $280 roundtrip.

The Question Of The Day Is: If you checked the same two bags on United Airlines, what would your baggage fee be?

United Airlines charges $15 for the first checked bag and on November 11, 2008 will begin charging $50 each for the second bag. United Airlines also charges a $125 additional fee each way for bags weighing between 51 to 70lbs each way.

Since our question was how much extra would it cost you above your $118 roundtrip airfare for your two 60lbs checked bags.

$15 for the first bag, roundtrip total $30.

$50 for the second bag, roundtrip total $100.

$125 for each bag over 50lbs, roundtrip total $500.

Your total cost for checking two 60lbs bags is a whopping $630 roundtrip!

P.S. If you check your two bags at curbside you will be charged an additional $2 curbside charge, per bag each way, bringing your total to $638 roundtrip!

Just a couple of years ago, in the fall of 2006, most major airlines permitted two checked bags weighing up to 70lbs each for free. In the year 2009, United Airlines estimates they will be able to raise an extra 700 million dollars in new fees.

If you would like to see what all airlines are charging for baggage fees, please click here.

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