Delta raises second-bag fee to $50

Instead of offsetting rising fuel prices by charging passengers to check in the first piece of luggage, Delta Air Lines Inc. is doubling the fee most domestic passengers pay to check in a second bag. Starting with tickets purchased tomorrow for domestic travel on or after Aug. 5, passengers must pay $50, up from $25, to check a second piece of luggage.

Delta is also raising domestic and international fees for checked items that require special handling, like surfboards and ski equipment.

Meanwhile, Northwest Airlines Corp. has upgraded its website, www.nwa.com, so customers can prepay $15 for a first piece of checked luggage and $25 for a second piece while checking in online. Northwest will start collecting the first-bag fee on Aug. 28.

Northwest said it will not process the prepaid fees until the luggage tags are printed at the airport, so passengers can use airport self-service check-in kiosks to change the number of bags they indicated online that they would check.
(By Nicole C. Wong, Globe staff)