Passengers paid U.S. airlines $4.7 billion in fees in the first 9 months of 2013
Ka-ching!

U.S. airlines made $4.7 billion from checked baggage and reservation change fees in the first three quarters of 2013, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
For the fourth consecutive year, Delta Air Lines is on track to beat out all other U.S. airlines in checked baggage and change fees, taking home $1.3 billion in revenues.
Delta's share of fees is in line with its share of U.S. traffic. It carried 57.5 million domestic and international passengers in the first six months of 2013, more than any other airline. (Southwest's passenger numbers are greater than Delta's when AirTran's passenger numbers are included. The BTS includes AirTran's fee revenue in Southwest's totals.)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Fourth quarter data will not be available until May 5, 2014.
Comparing the combined first three quarters of 2013 with the combined first three quarters of 2012, revenues from bag fees are actually down by $95 million year-over-year. That should be contrasted with the additional fees airlines are bringing in from change fees. Those are up $195 million year-over-year.
Airlines are ranked below by 2013 baggage and change fee revenue for Q1-Q3:
More from Skift
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How will the next pope change the Catholic Church?
Talking Points Conclaves can be unpredictable
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Conspiracy theorists circle again following RFK file release
The Explainer Both RFK and his brother, President John F. Kennedy, have been the subjects of conspiracies
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
7 equestrian activities for when you feel like horsin' around
The Week Recommends These graceful animals make any experience better
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US