More new (expensive) airline trends


Sarah Pascarella
Sarah Pascarella

    Air passengers, take note: Two new trends announced this week may lead to even more expensive fares in the near future. Several airlines have reinstated the Saturday-night stay requirement on select routes, and Delta may charge passengers for curb-side check-in.

    Staying over a Saturday night will typically get you a lower-priced fare than if your travel plans were limited, for example, around the business week. As such,

    The Street

    reports,

    Continental

    ,

    Delta

    , and

    United

    have all brought back the Saturday-night stay requirement as a means of quick revenue, particularly from business travelers (those typically willing to pay the highest fares, usually not including a Saturday).

    Northwest

    and

    American

    have also brought the surcharge back, but on a more limited scale.

    Meanwhile, if you're a Delta customer, you may want to think twice about curbside check-in for your next flight. In another effort to trim costs, Delta is considering a charge of $2 per bag checked at the curb, reports

    USA Today

    . Check-ins inside the airport will still be free.

    Both proposals have yet to be set in stone. We'll be watching each situation closely to see if the changes are made permanent.