Pressure is mounting on cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages as the airlines continue to raise their fees. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are the latest airlines to increase their fees for the first checked bag and they have eliminated free standby. The new fees go into effect for tickets bought after May 1st for travel after June 15th.
Both airlines will charge $20 for each of their passengers first three checked pieces of luggage. This change means that checking one bag will cost $5 more than before, but a checking a second bag will cost $5 less and a third bag $30 less. The price of checking from four to 10 checked bags is being reduced to $50 per bag vs. the prior $100.
Passengers who want to change their flight within six hours of their originally scheduled departure time will have to pay a $25 same day confirmed fee, if space is open on the desired new flight. Customers trying to make a change beyond the six hour prescribed time frame will have to pay the difference in the price of the ticket plus a change fee.
Previously such customers only had to pay $25 to secure a guaranteed seat on a different flight the same day or they could fly stand by for free.
Select frequent fliers, first class travelers and those traveling between Seattle and Portland or Spokane will still be able to change flights on the same day without paying a change fee and will be allowed to stand by for free.
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