U.S. airline fee collections rise in first quarter

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July 01--U.S. airlines collected $1.85 billion in miscellaneous fees in the first quarter, down 1 percent from 2009's first quarter, a federal agency says.

The Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported that Delta Air Lines led the industry with $592.1 million in collected fees in the first quarter for baggage, reservation changes and miscellaneous charges. It was a 61 percent increase from the fees Delta collected in last year's first quarter.

American Airlines, with total fee collections of $261.1 million, an 8.2 percent increase from 2009's first quarter, collected the second-highest total. US Airways collected $238.1 million in fees in the first quarter, a 7.6 percent increase from the same period a year ago.

BTS said Delta also led the industry in first-quarter baggage fees, with $217.8 million, up 112 percent from 2009's first quarter. American placed second in baggage fees, with $128.5 million, a 19 percent increase from last year's first quarter, and US Airways was third, with $120.7 million in baggage fees, up 28 percent.

Industrywide, baggage fee collections totaled $768.5 million in the first quarter, up 33 percent.

U.S. airlines received $553.4 million in reservation change fees in the first quarter, down 5.7 percent from 2009's first quarter. Delta topped the industry with $165.3 million in reservation change fees, a 90 percent increase from the same period a year ago. American, with $114.4 million in reservation change fees, placed second,

with a 1.3 percent decrease, and United Airlines, with $74.7 million in reservation change fees, down 4.4 percent from a year earlier, had the third-highest total.

D.R. Stewart 581-8451

don.stewart@tulsaworld.com