Go! adds $25 charge

A second checked bag will cost extra on interisland excursions

» Go!'s passenger numbers rose to a record high

It will cost more soon to ship a piece of luggage on go! than a round-trip interisland ticket cost a year ago.

Mesa Air Group Inc., the parent of interisland carrier go!, said yesterday it will charge $25 for a second piece of checked luggage on all flights starting July 15.

The charge will help offset a "radical increase in fuel costs," according to a release by go!, which was selling one-way tickets last June for as little as $1.

"Our industry is burdened with fuel expenses far beyond expectations, and we have instituted this charge furthering our efforts to provide go! passengers with options instead of raising the overall cost of interisland travel," Jonathan Ornstein, Mesa's chairman and CEO, said in a statement.

In late April, Hawaiian Airlines announced a $25 fee each way for checking a second piece of luggage on flights between the mainland and Hawaii starting June 10, citing similar fees by other major carriers serving the state. Hawaiian is studying the go! decision but has not yet matched the interisland fee, spokesman Keoni Wagner said.

Corporate, government and go!Express passengers are exempt from the fee, which also does not apply to child car seats, carriers and strollers, and personal assistive devices such as wheelchairs and walkers.