Hawaii's Go! Airlines Adds First Checked Bag Charge

Honolulu, Hawaii (AHN) - Go! Airlines, a subsidiary of the Mesa Air Group, announced Tuesday that it will be adding an extra $10 charge for each passenger's first checked bag.

The additional fee, scheduled to take effect starting Aug. 10, is reportedly meant to compensate for the skyrocketing fuel prices that have been crippling the airline industry.

Company executives explained that the additional charges were also meant to compensate for the economic shifts without having to raise the standard transport costs.

"Fuel costs have more than doubled since we first entered the Hawaiian market," Jonathan Ornstein, CEO and chairman of Mesa Air Group, told the Pacific Business News.

"In this extremely challenging environment we remain committed to providing the best inter-island service at the lowest possible cost and are working to provide options instead of raising overall cost of travel," he added.

Certain exemptions from the $10 fee will be considered for passengers who purchased their tickets before July 10, those traveling on government fares, and corporate members. Passengers booked on the same reservations as exempt passengers will also be waived of the fee, unless the group is made up of 8 or more individuals.

Also, items such as child car seats, strollers, wheelchairs, walkers, carriers, and other similar personal mobility devices will be considered exempt from the fee, reported the Star Bulletin.

According to Go!, passengers will also be compensated for the extra charges with a reduction of previously announced charges for the second bag. The fee will be reduced from the usual $25 to $17.

The policy will be effective for tickets purchased on and after June 25, with flights scheduled after July 15.