The Associated Press reports that American Airlines will start charging $15 for the first checked bag in response to high fuel prices.
American, the nation's largest carrier, said Wednesday the fee for the first checked bag starts June 15 and that it would raise other fees for services ranging from reservation help to oversized bags. The other fees will mostly range from $5 to $50 per service, the airline said.
Last month American announced it would join other carriers in charging $25 for second bags checked for some passengers, but it wasn't immediately clear how Wednesday's announcement would affect that.
The planned fee on the first checked bag immediately ran into resistance. Delta Air Lines Inc. spokeswoman Betsy Talton said the Atlanta-based airline is considering all of its options in light of $130-a-barrel oil, but doesn't plan to match the $15 fee American announced.
American plans to cut domestic flight capacity by 11 percent to 12 percent in the fourth quarter. American had previously expected fourth-quarter capacity to fall 4.6 percent from the same period in 2007.
American Airlines is also reducing the number of aircraft it uses by 45-50 planes. So far American's competitor Delta airlines has not initiated a 1st checked bag fee.
The cost of oil continues to climb and is currently priced at over $130 a barrel. Gas prices also continue to hit new records daily. The current national average gas price in the U.S. is $3.807 according to the AAA's Fuel Guage Report.
The Associated Press 
