NEW YORK (AP) — New York Sen. Charles Schumer says five major airlines have agreed they aren’t going to charge passengers for their carry-on bags.
Schumer said Sunday he’s gotten commitments from American, Delta, JetBlue, United and US Air. He reached out to the companies’ CEOs after Spirit Airlines recently announced it would charge up to $45 for passengers who bring a bag on board and put it in the overhead compartment.
The Democratic senator says he hopes other carriers will follow. He says he plans to meet with the leadership of Spirit Airlines in the coming week.
Add-on fees have been an important source of revenue for airlines since oil prices soared to an all-time high of $147 a barrel in July 2008. Those fees became a mainstay for airlines’ bottom lines even after fuel prices plunged.
