DATE: April 22, 2009
ATTN: Travel Manager/Arranger/Travelers

Delta Air Lines announced yesterday, for tickets purchased on or after April 21, 2009 for travel beginning July 1, 2009, customers in economy-class will be charged $50 US for the second checked bag.  Exceptions to the second checked bag fee include:

• 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 said it expects the new fee to generate more than $100 million annually.  Reporting a $794 million first-quarter loss, Delta said ancillary revenue during the first three months of the year grew - one of the few categories of revenue growth during the demand-challenged quarter.

Delta has reaped $160 million in already-implemented baggage fees during the quarter, said president Ed Bastian during the carrier's first-quarter earnings call.  "Our strategy of unbundling products and services from the base ticket price clearly provides a valuable source of revenue and gives customers the opportunity to pay for only those services valuable to them," Bastian said.

Travel One will continue to keep our clients informed of news and information that may affect their corporate travel program. Please contact your Travel One reservationist at 952-854-2555 or 1-800-245-1111 for the most current travel information.

For vacation travel, call Travel One at 952-854-2551 or 800-247-1311 and ask for a Leisure Agent.