U.S. airlines report big gains with baggage fee collections in Q3

The Federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics recently published its report for the third quarter of 2012 and said that U.S. carriers made great earnings through baggage fee collections from passengers boarding the flights to various destinations in the country.

According to the Federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics report, U.S. carriers collected $924 million in baggage fees in Q3 this year, up nearly 3 percent as compared to the same period in 2011.

The report said that United Airlines made some of the biggest gains through baggage fee collections. The United Continental Holdings Inc., which owns United Airlines, said that the airline collected $187.3 million in baggage fees in Q3, up 10.8 percent when compared to the same period last year. United Airlines stood at No. 1 in terms of baggage fee collection during the period.

However, Delta Air Lines has so far this year remained at the top spot for baggage fee collection. The airline has so far collected $662.8 million in baggage fees this year. This is slightly up as compared to the same period last year.