The new charges come as airlines have seen numbers of checked bags surge since the Transportation Security Administration passed tight restrictions on carry-on liquids, gels and aerosols after a London terror plot surfaced in August 2006. Southwest said its volume of checked bags has grown by more than 20 percent since then. Tighter restrictions on the number and size of carry-ons in recent years have also pushed more travelers to check their bags.
With oil trading above $130 a barrel, up more than 70 percent from last year, American said the baggage charge is necessary to gain revenue and conserve jet fuel by encouraging passengers to travel lighter.
Any surge in carry-ons could particularly be problematic on smaller regional jets, which have become much more common in recent years. Such planes, which have about 50 seats on average, have far less overhead space, though they transport close to 23 percent of all U.S. domestic fliers, said Roger Cohen, spokesman for the Regional Airline Association.
But handing over luggage takes a leap of faith when flying some regional carriers, such as American Eagle. The carrier, owned by American's parent AMR Corp., had the highest rate of mishandled bags out of 20 airlines in June and August last summer, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The $15 bag charge also applies to passengers on American Eagle's regional jets, company spokesman Tim Wagner said.
Wagner said the airline won't pass on the charge for carry-ons that fit American's size limits but later have to be checked at the gate or jet bridge. That eased American flight attendants' fears that they would have to try to charge passengers at the gate - but not entirely.
"It's one more thing we'll find ourselves apologizing for that we have no control over," Glading said. "We're really downtrodden."
AirTran Airways, which is No.2 to Southwest at BWI, and airlines such as United said they couldn't rule out charging for a first bag down the road. AirTran charges $10 for checking a second bag.
But AirTran also emphasizes the ample space it has available in the overhead bins of its Boeing 717 and 737 planes. Bins on its planes have been expanded to create the same storage capacity per person that's available on larger 747 aircraft.
"That's one of the things that really separates us from the bunch," said Cynthia Tinsley-Douglas, an AirTran spokeswoman.
