Delta Not Suspending Bag Fees for the Summer Due to TSA Lines, Despite Senator Requests

by Adam

Despite a request from two senators and Homeland Security Chief Jeh Johnsonthe asking the major airlines to waive checked baggage fees through the summer in order “to encourage people to check their luggage rather than carrying it on,” in the hopes of helping the TSA security line problem, Delta says it has no plans to change its checked luggage pricing.

TheStreet notes that Delta is spending between $3M-$4M to hire additional staff at its 32 largest US airports between June and August who will hopefully help to cut down the long security lines. American and United are doing the same at their main airports.

“Delta believes the focus should remain on our current efforts,” the carrier said Tuesday in a prepared statement. “We are investing significant time and resources to work alongside the TSA to improve checkpoint efficiency and staffing, mitigate wait times, and encourage customer PreCheck enrollment.” “We’ve seen heavy travel periods in the summer months before, we know we can solve this.”

The airlines collected $3.8B in baggage fees in 2015 and their lobbying group says that cutting them won’t solve the problem:

“If Congress really wanted to take action to address lengthy security lines it should return the $13 billion it diverted in 2013 from the increase passengers pay in TSA fees to the general fund,” said Jean Medina, spokeswoman for the Airlines for America lobbying group. “There is absolutely no data to suggest a causal relationship between airfare pricing and recent unacceptable security wait times.”

Recent Delta news:

TSA Line

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3 comments

Blue Hill May 24, 2016 - 7:08 pm

Why should Delta have to change their baggage fees, much as I hate them? I have an idea. Why doesn’t Congress get their friggin act together, stop diverting the money we paid for “airport fees” and solve this mess they’ve created. Congress is a disgrace.

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Carlos May 24, 2016 - 7:44 pm

I hate fees but I have to agree 100% with Delta we pay the TSS to do their job. They need to start working

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Delta Builds Security Checkpoints, More Efficient Than TSA's Own Lanes - Point Me to the Plane May 31, 2016 - 8:38 am

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