This Sucks!

The big one ... !

Checking a bag on an American Airlines flight this summer will begin to cost you as early as next month.

In response to record fuel prices and a weak U.S. economy, the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier announced Wednesday it will charge a $15 fee for the first bag passengers check. The fee will be effective for tickets purchased on or after June 15.

American -- which is the dominant carrier at the Miami International Airport and serves the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the Palm Beach International Airport -- said the move was a response to "the increasing costs of transporting checked baggage."

Multiple airlines in recent months have introduced fees for passengers who checked two bags. But American will become the first major carrier to charge flyers for the first bag they check.

Fees on "certain other services," including reservation service fees, pet fees and oversized bag fees, also will go up, American said. The carrier said most of the hikes are in the $5 to $50 range. Overall, it hopes to add hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue.

Customers who purchase tickets before June 15 will pay $25 to check a second bag. Customers buying tickets after that date will be charged $15 each way for the first checked bag and $25 each way for the second checked bag.

"While we understand that these fees affect customers, we also believe that our pricing for the services we provide remains extremely competitive in the industry and continues to offer our customers ample choice and value," CEO and Chairman Gerard Arpey said in a news release. "The bottom line is that our revenues, which include ticket sales and fees, must keep pace with our increasing costs."