American Airlines (AAL) announced a substantial increase in its checked bag fees, aiming to persuade passengers to purchase tickets directly from AAL if they want to earn frequent-flyer points. The carrier will raise fees for bags checked at the airport from $30 to$40 and for those checked online through its website from $30 to$35. Moreover, the fee for a second checked bag is increasing from $40 to$45, regardless of whether it's purchased online or at the airport. This marks the first fee hike since 201 ...