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FILE: American Airlines passenger planes are seen at gates at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Jan. 29, 2026, in Arlington, Va.<\/p>\n
Cliff Owen\/AP<\/p>\n
In this week\u2019s air travel news, four more big airlines have increased their fees for checked baggage<\/a>, and one of them is also tightening up the rules for basic economy ticket purchasers; Southwest Airlines<\/a> sets new limits for portable battery chargers carried onboard; Delta<\/a> 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\u2019s Condor Airlines sets its summer schedule for service to Frankfurt from SFO and LAX; Delta adds new\u00a0Wi-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; \u00a0research firm WalletHub releases its 2026 report on airline loyalty programs; and Air India opens a premium lounge at SFO.<\/p>\n American Airlines tightened up its policies for purchasers of basic economy fares. Starting May 15, they\u2019ll 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\u2019s not all: \u201cFor 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,\u201d American said. And later this year, AAdvantage members who don\u2019t have elite status or AA credit cards and who buy a basic economy ticket will be relegated to Group 7 for boarding, American said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Mario Tama\/Getty Images<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, 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\u2019s long-haul international routes\u00a0will remain unchanged<\/a>, and baggage fee waivers for\u00a0SkyMiles elite members, premium fare purchasers, and holders of the airline\u2019s co-branded credit cards will remain in place.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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. \u00a0<\/p>\n 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\u00a0elites and Rapid Rewards credit card holders, and two bags free for A-List Preferred members\u00a0and 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.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Make SFGATE a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 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\u00a0bag allowances remain in effect for\u00a0Atmos Rewards elites and holders of the Atmos Rewards Visa card or Hawaiian Airlines Mastercard, and premium cabin passengers.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, 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<\/a>, 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<\/a>, the number of known in-flight lithium battery incidents \u201cinvolving smoke, fire or extreme heat\u201d increased from 39 in 2020 to 97 in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In domestic route news, Delta is due to expand its San Francisco-Austin schedule on April 13<\/a> with the addition of a second daily flight. Aeroroutes reports that Delta has removed two California routes<\/a> 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<\/a>: 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.<\/p>\n German airline Condor began flying at\u00a0SFO in May 2023.<\/p>\n Silas Valentino\/SFGATE<\/p>\n On the international side,\u00a0Germany\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Delta has a new perk for SkyMiles members: a partnership with the New York Times that lets them see the newspaper\u2019s digital content for a 24-hour trial.\u00a0Users can log in through the airline\u2019s Delta Sync Wi-Fi \u201cwith full access to its digital ecosystem during the flight and after landing,\u201d Delta said in a news release<\/a>. Content includes the Times\u2019 news, games, cooking section, audio programs, Wirecutter reviews and sports section. \u201cSkyMiles 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,\u201d Delta said. And starting next month, Delta will add \u201ccurated video storytelling\u201d from the Times to its in-flight entertainment lineup on aircraft equipped with seatback video screens. \u201cSeatback content will include premium video series like DealBook Summit, featuring wide-ranging interviews on the most important stories across business, politics and culture, and \u2018The Interview,\u2019 showcasing conversations with compelling, influential figures in culture, politics, business, sports and beyond,\u201d Delta said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n FILE: A JetBlue jet pushes back from a gate at the Pittsburgh International Airport on\u00a0Feb. 13, 2026.<\/p>\n Gene J. Puskar\/AP<\/p>\n Frontier Airlines has started a partnership with Viator, a division of Tripadvisor that handles bookings for a wide variety of travel experiences.\u00a0The Viator site is now linked to FlyFrontier.com, and customers who book Viator products through the airline\u2019s website will earn four times the miles for each dollar spent. Users can reach the Viator link by clicking on the \u201cBook an Activity\u201d banner on Frontier\u2019s homepage. \u201cTravelers can now select from more than 425,000 activities and excursions available on\u00a0Viator when visiting FlyFrontier.com \u2014 from sunset cruises, ziplines, wine tasting, bus tours and much more \u2014 making trip-planning even more convenient,\u201d Frontier said<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Frontier Airlines flight approaches San Diego International Airport for a landing on a flight from Phoenix on Nov. 18, 2024.<\/p>\n Kevin Carter\/Getty Images<\/p>\n 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. \u201cSimply book and pay for your companion\u2019s trip on your reservation, apply the pass, and receive a statement credit after you both travel,\u201d JetBlue said<\/a>. Users will also get a bonus of 25 tiles in the airline\u2019s TrueBlue loyalty program at the start of each calendar year, \u201cputting them halfway to Mosaic 1\u201d 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\u00a0will get a 15% rebate of TrueBlue points they use for award flight redemptions.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n An Alaska Airlines plane takes off from\u00a0SFO\u00a0on Feb. 11, 2026.<\/p>\n Douglas Zimmerman\/SFGATE<\/p>\n The 2026 results have been released for WalletHub\u2019s annual deep dive into airline loyalty programs, and for the third year in a row, Alaska Airlines\u2019 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\u2019s evaluations are derived from a complicated formula that looks at 21 criteria \u2014 things like the value of points\/miles, flexibility of redemptions and blackout dates. In terms of rewards value,\u00a0WalletHub calculated that Frontier Airlines\u2019 program is the most generous<\/a>, 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n The report is full of data that documents overall industry trends \u2014 e.g., it found that the nation\u2019s top 10 airlines are offering, on average, 5% greater rewards value than they did in 2025. It also tracks differences in airlines\u2019 loyalty program policies. For instance,\u00a0WalletHub said only five major airlines have miles that don\u2019t expire due to account inactivity: Alaska, Delta, United, JetBlue and Southwest; and five carriers (American, Delta, JetBlue, United and Alaska) \u201cgive preference to frequent flyer program members when deciding whom to bump from overbooked flights.\u201d Thinking about buying some miles\/points to top off your account? In general, \u201cAirline miles cost an average of 2.5X more than they\u2019re worth when purchased rather than earned,\u201d WalletHub found.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In airport news,\u00a0Air 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\u2019s Concourse A on Level 4, between the China Airlines Lounge and the Golden Gate Lounge. It\u2019s 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<\/a>, \u201cthe 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\u2019ll get quite busy prior to Air India departures.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FILE: American Airlines passenger planes are seen at gates at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Jan. 29, 2026,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":578882,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[28,244000,254051,244567],"class_list":{"0":"post-578881","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-sfgfreelance","10":"tag-sfgroutes","11":"tag-sfgtravel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/578881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=578881"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/578881\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/578882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=578881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=578881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=578881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n
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