According to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, American air carriers collected more than 6.7 billion dollars in 2022 from baggage fees. For decades most suitcases were checked in for free, then the change of pace. Finally, prices have risen steadily in recent years, resulting in a marked increase in the profits of domestic airlines.

Just look at American Airlines, for example, which alone earned nearly 1.4 billion dollars from checked bags. A volume of cash that represents more than 2% of the company's total revenue in the full year 2022.

More generally, US airlines transported a total of over 470 million bags last year. For this reason, airport baggage handling systems are increasingly modern and technological: to speed up boarding operations and to prevent the loss of suitcases. And so at Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta there are today more than 30 miles of conveyor belts, 2,000 workers and a huge fleet of tugs, capable of moving 100,000 bags a day.