FILE: American Airlines passenger planes are seen at gates at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Jan. 29, 2026, in Arlington, Va.
Cliff Owen/AP
In this week’s air travel news, four more big airlines have increased their fees for checked baggage, and one of them is also tightening up the rules for basic economy ticket purchasers; Southwest Airlines sets new limits for portable battery chargers carried onboard; Delta expands its SFO-Austin service but drops two other California routes, while Breeze Airways delays the start of three transcontinental routes out of LAX; Germany’s Condor Airlines sets its summer schedule for service to Frankfurt from SFO and LAX; Delta adds new Wi-Fi content from a major newspaper; Frontier Airlines starts a partnership with Viator for booking various travel experiences; JetBlue increases the perks for holders of its new premium credit card; research firm WalletHub releases its 2026 report on airline loyalty programs; and Air India opens a premium lounge at SFO.
American Airlines tightened up its policies for purchasers of basic economy fares. Starting May 15, they’ll be charged $50/$55 (prepaid vs. at the airport) for the first bag and $60/$65 for the second on domestic trips and flights to the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America. And that’s not all: “For Basic Economy tickets purchased May 18 and beyond, all customers, including those with status, will be able to select a seat for a fee and will not be eligible for complimentary and systemwide upgrades,” American said. And later this year, AAdvantage members who don’t have elite status or AA credit cards and who buy a basic economy ticket will be relegated to Group 7 for boarding, American said.
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Travelers disembark from a Delta Air Lines flight with Southwest Airlines planes in the background at Hollywood Burbank Airport on July 25, 2024, in Burbank, Calif.
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Delta, Southwest, Alaska/Hawaiian and American Airlines are the latest major U.S. carriers to increase their fees for checked baggage, following similar moves last week by JetBlue and United. Like United, Delta boosted the cost of checking one bag by $10, from $35 to $45, while the fee for a second checked bag rose from $45 to $55, effective for flights booked on or after April 8. Passengers checking three bags will see the cost of the third bag jumping by $50, to $200. The new fees apply to domestic flights for customers in the main cabin or Delta Comfort seats. The baggage fees on Delta’s long-haul international routes will remain unchanged, and baggage fee waivers for SkyMiles elite members, premium fare purchasers, and holders of the airline’s co-branded credit cards will remain in place.
At American, checked bag fees for prepaid transactions went up from $35 to $45 for the first bag and $45 to $55 for the second. Without the $5 discount for prepayment, fees for the first and second bags checked at the airport rose to $50 and $60, respectively. That applies on AA domestic flights and trips to Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for tickets purchased on or after April 9. The usual fee exemptions remain in place for AAdvantage elite members, AA credit card holders, premium seat purchasers and active military.
Southwest, which just started charging fees for checked baggage last year, also raised those fees from $35 to $45 for a first checked bag and from $45 to $55 for a second. The increase is in effect for tickets booked on or after April 9. The airline allows a first checked bag free for A-List elites and Rapid Rewards credit card holders, and two bags free for A-List Preferred members and purchasers of Choice Extra fares. Airlines are blaming the higher fees on skyrocketing jet fuel costs, which have more than doubled since the Iran war started.
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Alaska Airlines and partner Hawaiian Airlines raised checked bag fees for main cabin travelers on flights within North America to $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second, effective April 10. They were previously $40 and $45, respectively. The rate for a third checked bag went from $150 to $200. The $5 discount for prepayment of bag fees was eliminated. Free bag allowances remain in effect for Atmos Rewards elites and holders of the Atmos Rewards Visa card or Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard, and premium cabin passengers.
In another policy change, Southwest set new restrictions on portable lithium battery chargers (also known as power banks). Effective April 20, passengers will only be allowed to bring one 100-watt-hour charger per person on board, according to CBS News, which cited an internal Southwest memo to employees. Flyers are not allowed to store chargers in overhead bins but must put them in bags under their seats or carry them on their person. Passengers can only use a portable charger in-flight if it is visible. FAA regulations prohibit lithium batteries and chargers from being stored in checked luggage, and the International Civil Aviation Organization last month updated its rules on portable chargers, limiting them to two per passenger and barring users from recharging them during flights. The concerns about in-flight lithium batteries and chargers are based on increasing numbers of incidents where the devices caught fire. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the number of known in-flight lithium battery incidents “involving smoke, fire or extreme heat” increased from 39 in 2020 to 97 in 2025.
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In domestic route news, Delta is due to expand its San Francisco-Austin schedule on April 13 with the addition of a second daily flight. Aeroroutes reports that Delta has removed two California routes from its summer schedule, axing the San Jose-Detroit service that was supposed to start May 7 and the Los Angeles-Anchorage flights that were due to begin May 22. And low-cost Breeze Airways has pushed back the launch of three transcontinental routes out of LAX: Norfolk, Pittsburgh and Providence. Instead of starting in the first week of May, the three routes are now scheduled to begin in the first week of June.
German airline Condor began flying at SFO in May 2023.
Silas Valentino/SFGATE
On the international side, Germany’s Condor Airlines has released its summer seasonal schedule, including nonstop daily service from San Francisco and Los Angeles to its Frankfurt hub. San Francisco-Frankfurt flights are set to begin May 3, and LAX service is slated to start April 24, both continuing through Oct. 24. The airline also offers connecting service from Frankfurt to several major European cities. It uses Airbus A330neos for its transatlantic service.
Delta has a new perk for SkyMiles members: a partnership with the New York Times that lets them see the newspaper’s digital content for a 24-hour trial. Users can log in through the airline’s Delta Sync Wi-Fi “with full access to its digital ecosystem during the flight and after landing,” Delta said in a news release. Content includes the Times’ news, games, cooking section, audio programs, Wirecutter reviews and sports section. “SkyMiles Members can redeem The New York Times offer onboard multiple times per year, making it easy to stay connected to the latest news and culture during long-haul travel, quick trips and beyond,” Delta said. And starting next month, Delta will add “curated video storytelling” from the Times to its in-flight entertainment lineup on aircraft equipped with seatback video screens. “Seatback content will include premium video series like DealBook Summit, featuring wide-ranging interviews on the most important stories across business, politics and culture, and ‘The Interview,’ showcasing conversations with compelling, influential figures in culture, politics, business, sports and beyond,” Delta said.
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FILE: A JetBlue jet pushes back from a gate at the Pittsburgh International Airport on Feb. 13, 2026.
Gene J. Puskar/AP
Frontier Airlines has started a partnership with Viator, a division of Tripadvisor that handles bookings for a wide variety of travel experiences. The Viator site is now linked to FlyFrontier.com, and customers who book Viator products through the airline’s website will earn four times the miles for each dollar spent. Users can reach the Viator link by clicking on the “Book an Activity” banner on Frontier’s homepage. “Travelers can now select from more than 425,000 activities and excursions available on Viator when visiting FlyFrontier.com — from sunset cruises, ziplines, wine tasting, bus tours and much more — making trip-planning even more convenient,” Frontier said.
A Frontier Airlines flight approaches San Diego International Airport for a landing on a flight from Phoenix on Nov. 18, 2024.
Kevin Carter/Getty Images
JetBlue is increasing the perks available to customers who sign up for the JetBlue Premier World Elite Mastercard, issued by Barclays, that the airline introduced last year. The airline said the annual fee for the card will remain at $499 (plus $150 each for other authorized users). Cardholders will now get companion pass statement credits based on their spending, allowing them to earn a companion pass worth up to $500 for spending $15,000 in a calendar year and a second after $75,000 in spending. “Simply book and pay for your companion’s trip on your reservation, apply the pass, and receive a statement credit after you both travel,” JetBlue said. Users will also get a bonus of 25 tiles in the airline’s TrueBlue loyalty program at the start of each calendar year, “putting them halfway to Mosaic 1” elite status, the airline noted. Members who use the JetBlue Premier card for hotels, car rentals, cruises and other services booked through TrueBlue Travel can earn up to $300 in annual statement credits, and cardmembers will get a 15% rebate of TrueBlue points they use for award flight redemptions.
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An Alaska Airlines plane takes off from SFO on Feb. 11, 2026.
Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE
The 2026 results have been released for WalletHub’s annual deep dive into airline loyalty programs, and for the third year in a row, Alaska Airlines’ Atmos Rewards (formerly known as Mileage Plan) has won top honors. United finished in second place, followed, in order, by Delta, American, JetBlue and Southwest. Bringing up the rear were low-cost carriers Spirit, Frontier, Sun Country and Allegiant. WalletHub’s evaluations are derived from a complicated formula that looks at 21 criteria — things like the value of points/miles, flexibility of redemptions and blackout dates. In terms of rewards value, WalletHub calculated that Frontier Airlines’ program is the most generous, giving back members $13.92 for every $100 spent; Alaska came in second with $9.58, while United was only in eighth place with a return of $4.37 per $100 spent.
The report is full of data that documents overall industry trends — e.g., it found that the nation’s top 10 airlines are offering, on average, 5% greater rewards value than they did in 2025. It also tracks differences in airlines’ loyalty program policies. For instance, WalletHub said only five major airlines have miles that don’t expire due to account inactivity: Alaska, Delta, United, JetBlue and Southwest; and five carriers (American, Delta, JetBlue, United and Alaska) “give preference to frequent flyer program members when deciding whom to bump from overbooked flights.” Thinking about buying some miles/points to top off your account? In general, “Airline miles cost an average of 2.5X more than they’re worth when purchased rather than earned,” WalletHub found.
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In airport news, Air India has opened a premium passenger lounge in San Francisco International Airport, its second in the U.S. after New York JFK. The new Maharaja Lounge is in Terminal 1’s Concourse A on Level 4, between the China Airlines Lounge and the Golden Gate Lounge. It’s open to first- and business-class passengers, Maharaja Club Gold and Platinum elites, and Star Alliance Gold members. Features of the 3,413-square-foot lounge include a bar with hot and cold beverages, a food buffet, and internet service. According to One Mile at a Time, “the lounge looks super elegant, so this should be a nice facility. However, at just over 3,400 square feet, this is one of the smaller outstation lounges out there, and I imagine it’ll get quite busy prior to Air India departures.”