The $25 thorn in your side every time you fly with a slightly-larger-than-average suitcase is making airlines some serious bank. U.S. airlines have collected a combined $26.2 billion in checked-bag fees since 2007, when airlines first began charging such fees to offset the soaring cost of jet fuel, Thrillist reports. That's nearly enough to buy Delta, the most valuable airline in the U.S., which is worth just over $27 billion. Last year alone, airlines made $3.8 billion on checked luggage, which Thrillist points out is nearly equal to the city budget of Phoenix.
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