Delta to charge for second checked bag

After reporting that it lost $794 million in the first quarter of 09 Delta Airlines announced that it would begin charging passengers for a second checked bag on all International flights. The charge of $50 for a second checked bag will come into effect on July 1, 2009 and will be charged to passengers who have purchased their tickets on or after 21 April 2009. The airline estimates that this new charge will generate more than $100 million annually. There are a few passengers who will escape the charge (for the moment anyhow !!). These are as follows -

• First and Business Class passengers.
• SkyMiles and WorldPerks Elite members (Executive/Platinum/Gold, including Flying Colonels).
• Active duty military members traveling on orders.
• Passengers who purchased tickets prior to April 21, 2009.
• Passengers who are confirmed on a Full Y class Economy ticket.

Delta is the first major full service carrier to charge for a second bag when flying internationally from the USA. It is unknown at this point if other full services carriers will follow suit.

Currently Delta offers service from the USA to Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa, Dakar in Senegal and Lagos in Nigeria. New Delta African routes starting in June 09 are to Abuja in Nigeria, Monrovia in Liberia and Nairobi in Kenya.