(December 17, 2012)--U.S. airlines collected $924 million in baggage fees in the third quarter, up almost 3 percent from the same period last year, the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics said.

Some of the biggest gains were at United Continental Holdings Inc. United collected $187.3 million in bag fees in the third quarter, up 10.8 percent from a year earlier.

Delta Air Lines Inc. is the second-biggest airline by traffic, but it has the top spot for baggage fees.

It has collected $662.8 million so far this year, up slightly from the same time last year.

Baggage fee collections were down sharply at American Airlines, which took in $138.3 million in the most recent quarter, down 9.5 percent from a year earlier.