Delta Raises Checked Bag Fees

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ATLANTA (CNN Money) - Following United and JetBlue, Delta has upped the cost of checking bags for flights.

The airline on Wednesday quietly raised the prices of the first and second checked bags by $5 each. The first checked bag will now cost $30 -- up from $25 for flights in North America, the Caribbean, and Central America. The second checked bag will now cost $40, up from $35.

A Delta spokesperson confirmed the change, telling CNN that it "routinely makes fee adjustments."

Airlines are battling with rising fuel and labor costs and it's taking a toll on their bottom lines.

In July, Delta and American both cut their outlooks for full-year earnings. The International Air Transport Association, a global industry group, has slashed its forecast for total profits for the global airline industry in 2018 by 12%.

The airlines are making up those costs with ancillary fees, like checking bags and picking a seat.

Delta collected $375 million in baggage fees during the first six months of 2018, according to Bureau of Transportation statistics. That was down 15% from the same period last year. Overall, the US airline industry collected $2.4 billion in the first six months of the year, which was up 7% from the same period a year earlier.

The price hikes by Delta come nearly three weeks after United and JetBlue hiked their baggage prices by $5 each. American Airlines declined to comment if it will follow.

Delta said that passengers can still check bags without paying a fee by having status in its SkyMiles loyalty program, flying in first class or booking the flight with an eligible SkyMiles credit card from American Express.

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