United Airlines increases checked baggage fees to $30

United Airlines on Friday increased its checked bag fee by $5 to $30. | Getty Images

Checking luggage on airplane flights just got a little more expensive — this time for passengers with United Airlines.

The company on Friday increased its fees for one checked bag from $25 to $30. United’s move comes days after JetBlue increased its baggage fee by $5 to $30.

The upcharge goes into effect immediately for both airlines and applies to domestic and some international flights. Analysts point to the rising cost of fuel as the main reason for increasing baggage fees. With a reported 20 percent spike in fuel prices in the last year, airlines are making checked bags a commodity that comes with a rising sticker price.

The upward trend in baggage fees is also paired with the offer of bare-bones service: so-called amenities that passengers have come to expect are being stripped away from the most basic flight options.

Delta already charges $60 to check luggage on some flights, according to CNBC. The first checked bag with American Airlines cost $25 for most domestic flights and Frontier charges at least $30 for carry-on bags and $25 for the first checked bag. Southwest is one of the few major United States airlines that offers free checked bags. Passengers can check two bags without paying any additional fees.

In the U.S., travelers spent $4.6 billion to check bags in 2017, according to a CNBC report.

The new baggage fees may come as surprise to some. It’s not noted on United Airline’s official Twitter account, though the carrier included the change on its website.