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United Airlines and US Airways Happily Match Checked Bag Fee Hike to $25

WHEN WILL IT STOP?! Probably never, and that's our final answer.

This week's big airline news has been the abrupt increase in fees for your first checked bag, going from $20 to $25 on two airlines; first went Delta, then Continental, and now we add a third and fourth airline—United and US Airways. American is the last legacy carrier holding out and of course it probably won't take long for them because once there's blood in the water...

The United announcement was made late on Wednesday, and it took affect yesterday, with United charging $25 to check one bag at the airport and $35 for a second bag on flights within the United States, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Canada. You can shave off a few measly dollars by checking it online and doing the airport bag drop for $23 for the first bag, and $32 for a second. What a rotten deal.

Now that we've been seeing these fees creep up over the last six months or so, we're no longer taken by surprise, but we can't say the same for leisure travelers and those who roll up to the airport with their bags, thinking that nothing has changed. These are the folks who will be hardest hit by the baggage fees, and who will be the most frustrated with check-in agents, so avoid waiting in line behind someone with lots of baggage of check, who maybe is also wearing Juicy Couture sweatpants.