1. Delta-Passengers flying Delta pay an average of $24 in extra fees, more than twice what passengers on United and Continental pay and quadruple the amount of people flying Southwest. The first checked bag costs $25 and the second costs $35. Changing your ticket costs $150 and changing a flight that was booked with frequent flier miles will also cost you $150. The airline is also planning to charge as much as $160 extra for special seats in economy class on long distance flights. The specialty: they recline 50% farther back.
2. Northwest Airlines--Northwest charges for the first piece of luggage ($15) and as much as $100 for redeeming frequent flier miles.
3. US Airways-The airline might charge as much as $25 for the first piece of luggage, $55 for the second and $100 for the third. If that's not enough, the airline is now charging $90 extra for checked baggage that is overweight by 50-70 pounds, and $175 extra for bags overweight by more than 70 pounds. On top of all that, US Airways can charge anywhere from $25 to $75 to redeem frequent flier miles and $150 to make changes to your flight.
4. American Airlines--American Airlines charges as much as $39 more to sit in one of the first few rows--in coach.
5. Alaska Airlines--Alaska Airlines charges $15 for the first piece of checked luggage and $25 for the second, as well as a $100 reservation change fee, a $15 fee for booking a reservation at the ticket counter and a $100 fee for bringing a pet on board (each way).
6. Continental Airlines--Continental officially merged with United Airlines to become the world's largest airline. But the deal won't help passengers. They're ending up paying the same amount in fees as United.
7. United Airlines--United is famous for poor customer service and luggage issues, but that doesn't stop them from charging a lot of extra fees. Passengers pay $25 for their first checked bag and $35 for the second checked bag, not to mention a $30 charge to redeem frequent flier miles.
8. AirTran--AirTran is known for having some of the cheapest flights in the country, but the cost of those flights is low because of the extra fees. They include charging for both the first and second piece of checked luggage and ticket change fees.
9. JetBlue--JetBlue charges fewer fees than most major airlines. The airline doesn't charge for the first checked bag, but will charge anywhere from $50-$100 for the second. JetBlue also charges a reservation change fee ($100) and has new fees like getting extra legroom for $10.
10. Southwest Airlines--Southwest doesn't charge for checking the first two pieces of luggage or changing a reservation. The company also doesn't add fees like charging for legroom or snacks. They do charge for some things, including an optional $10 early bird check-in fee and sometimes for an extra seat if the passenger is overweight.
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