Delta to raise bag fees amid ongoing Iran war
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines will raise its checked bag fees for all domestic and short-haul international tickets purchased on or after Wednesday.
A spokesperson said the move reflects “Delta’s regular review of pricing across the business and reflects broader industry dynamics, including evolving operating costs.”
It’s Delta’s first domestic bag fee increase in more than two years.
The price of jet fuel — one of airlines’ biggest expenses — has soared in recent weeks as the economic effects of the U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran continue to play out. According to the International Air Transport Association, jet fuel costs have more than doubled since February.
Airfares have also been rising in response to the disruption, Delta CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC last month.
Delta’s move comes several days behind several of its competitors, including United Airlines and JetBlue Airways, both of which raised bag fees recently.
Delta’s fee for customers’ first checked bag will increase by $10, to $45, second checked bags will increase by $10, to $55, and third checked bags will jump $50, to $200, according to a spokesperson.
Passengers who already qualify for free checked bags will continue to do so, including SkyMiles Medallion members, first class passengers, active-duty military and those with Delta-branded American Express cards.
Delta is expected to release its quarterly earnings report Wednesday morning, the first major airline to report its financials for the first quarter of 2026.
“Everything was going great in the first couple months of the year, then a war breaks out,” Bastian told investors last month.
About the Author
As a business reporter, Emma Hurt leads coverage of the Atlanta airport, Delta Air Lines, UPS, Norfolk Southern and other travel and logistics companies. Prior to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution she worked as an editor and Atlanta reporter for Axios, a politics reporter for WABE News and a business reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
