United Matches Continental, Delta Fees Hikes

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

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In an unsurprising move, United matched the recent bag fee hikes from Continental and Delta. Travelers on United will now pay $23 online and $25 at the airport for the first checked bag, and $32 online and $35 at the airport for the second checked bag.

The move comes just a day after Continental raised its fee, which in turn was a match of Delta’s hike last week.

The question now becomes when US Airways and American jump on the bandwagon. American doesn’t currently offer an online discount, but has kept its fees in line with the online fees charged by its competitors. US Airways is likely to match both the online and airport fees levied by United, Continental, and Delta.

As always, you can track all the airline fees with our Ultimate Guide to Airline fees chart.

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