Porter Airlines will soon begin charging passengers to check luggage on flights between Canada and the United States, joining a growing industry trend.

The airline announced that beginning in August, on any flight booked after Wednesday, passengers will pay $25 for the first checked bag, $35 for the second bag, and $100 for the third bag and each subsequent bag. Passengers in the highest fare class, Freedom, will have the fee waived.

Porter spokesman Brad Cicero said the policy change comes as the airline revamps its baggage rules including permitting up to 23 kilograms per bag. Previously, a passenger was allowed 23 kilograms total in checked luggage – and if they exceeded that, it was a $5 per kilogram charge.

“They can actually take a lot more, but as part of that, we think this provides a balance, between allowing them to do that and have us still be competitive in the marketplace,” he said.

Air Canada first introduced the same checked bag fee on flights between Canada and the United States in 2011, although passengers on domestic flights still have one free checked bag.

WestJet Airlines allows its passengers to have one checked bag free on any destination including on flights between Canada and the United States.

U.S. carriers were the first to introduce fees for checked baggage, and last year, the airlines collected $3.5 billion (U.S.) in these bag fees alone.

Cicero said while Porter is introducing the fee, it still offers other services including lounge access at the Toronto island airport as well as complimentary wine and beer on its flights.

“When we look at the big picture, we still pretty confident that we stand out when you look at all the competitors out there for the total value and service proposition,” he said.

The airline is also promising that checked luggage on any flight will be at the baggage claim within 30 minutes of a flight’s arrival, and if it’s not, passengers will receive a $25 voucher for future travel within six months on Porter.

Porter has embarked on plans to expand its operations after placing a conditional order for Bombardier’s new CSeries jet. The airline needs to have the current “no jets” ban lifted at the island airport and get the runway extended.

The airline, which is privately held, has said it has turned a profit in the last two years and it wouldn’t be considering an expansion if it didn’t have longer term sustainability.

However, beginning in April, the airline stopped releasing its load factors – a monthly report on how full its planes are. In March, Porter had a 58.1 per cent load factor, down 1.7 per cent.

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CEO Robert Deluce has said that data was only made public in 2010 when the company was preparing an initial public offering that was eventually abandoned.

“It’s sensitive information,” he said in an interview last month, noting the data could help competitors. “At the point when we need to release information, we will certainly do it.”

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