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Which airline makes the most from luggage fees?

July 14, 2009

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That would be American Airlines, according to the latest government-reported numbers for 2009.

The rest of the list may surprise you even more.

1. American Airlines – $108,117,000
2. Delta Air Lines – $102,838,000
3. US Airways – $94,227,000
4. United Airlines – $59,102,000
5. Northwest Airlines – $59,786,000
6. Continental Airlines – $55,616,000
7. AirTran Airways – $30,881,000
8. JetBlue Airways – $12,603,000
9. Frontier Airlines – $12,456,000
10. Southwest Airlines – $5,982,000

Here are the top 10 airlines by passengers:

1. Southwest Airlines
2. American Airlines
3. Delta Air Lines
4. United Airlines
5. US Airways
6. Continental Airlines
7. Northwest Airlines
8. AirTran Airways
9. JetBlue Airways
10. SkyWest

Conclusion? Southwest is the real story here. It carried the most passengers, yet charged the least in fees.

If you want to avoid luggage fees, you know who to fly.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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8 comments

  • Brian C

    Does this really surprise anyone?

  • Mort B

    All very well, but if you live in Hawaii, as I do, you can’t fly any of the three lowest airlines in the list, at least not between Honolulu and the mainland.

  • KathyJ

    United is shown as having less revenue from baggage fees than Northwest, yet it is listed at #4 to Northwest’s #5.

  • http://www.vrbo.com/185800 Patricia Eachus

    Mmmm, chances of the airlines ever returning to accepting luggage without a fee dims with these kinds of numbers. It has been my contention as a frequent flier how much carry on is now in play, which makes boarding more congested, upper bins are stuffed full and have you noticed how many people are wearing all those extra clothes on their backs to not have to pay for it in a packed bag. For me, I would rather see the extra fees be part of the ticket price (fuel charge) instead of leaving a bad taste about the airlines in the passengers mouth. However, I am in the “hospitality” field and love “happy guests”. Not so for the airlines.

  • ed

    @MortB…
    I *wish* I had that problem….(meaning I’ld love to be living in Hawaii!)
    Ed

  • http://www.hostelio.com/ Hostelio

    Attention holiday fliers: Grab your calculators, tape measures and luggage scales. If you don’t know the dimensions and weight of your bags, you might be in for a nasty surprise at the airport.

  • http://thebestdealsinorlando.com Jeff

    With hte extra charges the flights should be better

  • http://ccairways.com/blog Bruce Sweigert

    Chris – you are exactly right. Its kind of a paradox….the low cost carriers should be providing more base service, not less. Here is an analysis that I did using the same DOT F41 data comparing ancillary revenue practices with the majors and LCCs. The gap is striking.

    http://ccairways.com/blog/ancillary-revenue-new-revenue-or-new-accounting/

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