Dollars and sense: New airline fees, new rules

Credit: Kossy@FINEDAYS.

By Joe Brancatelli

Thehard-pressed airline industry, which hasn’t made money since a few weeks after the Wright Brothers’ first flight, continues to juggle its rules and regulations to raise revenue. Here’s what you need to know about now:

Alaska Airlines is going to a flat $20 per bag fee for each of the first three checked bags. Previously, the airline charged $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second and $50 for the third.
Lufthansa, the gigantic German airline, has raised its fuel surcharge to $150 each way on flights between the United States and Europe. Surcharges on flights to other destinations are now as much as $216 each way.
British Airways, one of the other European behemoths, is actually loosening rules a bit. It now permits US-bound coach passengers to take two pieces of carry-on luggage. But BA is currently plagued by strikes, so be careful before you book.

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