Earnings Airline fees are flying high U.S. airlines are earning billions, and they are collecting more in fees on checked bags and reservation changes. Whether airlines are making more or less profit than before depends on which figures you use. The Department of Transportation said Monday that airlines collected $3.5 billion in bag fees last year, a 5 percent increase over 2013, and $3 billion in reservation-change fees, a 6 percent hike. Net income at the 27 airlines counted by the government fell to $7.5 billion last year from $12.