First bag no longer free on Hawaiian Airlines’ Mainland-Hawaii flights

The way things are going for the airline industry, toting your luggage on board for free will be as much a thing of the past as milk bottles and cellphones the size of a brick.

Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines announced it will be charging an additional $15 for the first checked bag on flights between the Mainland and Hawaii.

The $15 fee will be automatically added on tickets purchased after Aug. 1 for flights scheduled for Oct. 1 and beyond. Hawaiian Airlines already charges $25 for a second bag on Mainland flights.

Passengers traveling interisland should be relieved to know a first checked-in bag is still free for interisland flights. For now, anyway. It already costs $17 for a second checked-in bag.

The new baggage fee tops a number of changes the carrier is making to stay financially afloat in turbulent economic times for the airline industry.

Starting Sept. 1, Hawaiian Airlines will charge a ticketing fee for bookings made over the telephone—$10 for interisland travel and $20 for all other routes. Ticketing at airport locations will set you back $25. There are no immediate plans to implement ticketing fees for transactions made on HawaiianAirlines.com.

Hawaiian is also adjusting mileage requirements for its popular frequent flyer program, meaning it will take more miles for award travel starting Sept. 1.

What do you think about the airline industry’s recent movement toward instituting fees for previously gratis services such as checked-in luggage and reservations?