Gilbertson

$136.2 million in baggage fees, a 1 percent increase from a year earlier. Late last year, the airline started charging members of the lowest rung of its elite frequent-flier program to check a second bag.

Southwest Airlines is high on the list (No. 5) for the first time as a result of its merger with AirTran Airways. Southwest famously doesn’t charge for the first two checked bags, but AirTran does. The combined airline reported $50.5 million in baggage fees in the quarter. A year earlier, Southwest had just $8.5 million in baggage fees.

Major airlines had no across-the-board baggage-fee increases in the period, but Las Vegasbased Allegiant Air started charging $10-$35 each way for carry-on bags that don’t fit underneath the seat.

Allegiant’s baggagefee revenue jumped 51 percent, to $20.8 million from $13.8 million a year earlier. Despite its significantly smaller size, Allegiant ranked No. 8 of the 16 airlines in the BTS data, up from No. 12 in the same period last year. The airline’s passenger counts also are rising sharply as it expands service from airports including Phoenix-Mesa Gateway.

Fellow deep discounter Spirit Airlines, which also is growing rapidly and started service at Gateway this year, ranks No. 6 in baggagefee revenue. The Florida-based airline collected $44 million in baggage fees in the quarter, up 28 percent from a year earlier. Spirit was the first U.S. airline to charge for carry-on bags, and it plans to increase that fee Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Airlines’ revenue from fees to change or cancel a ticket rose 7.9 percent to a record $660.8 million. The top five airlines were Delta, American, United, US Airways and JetBlue. Southwest, which doesn’t charge change fees, made its first appearance on the list as a result of its acquisition of AirTran. It now ranks No. 6 in change fees, with $11.4 million.