Airline baggage fees: How much it costs to check a bag on major US airlines

Airline baggage charges can fluctuate vastly, and there is nothing worse than being hit abruptly charges after reserving.

At TPG, we purpose to please — and by that, we imply truly assist readers spend smarter to journey higher. On this information, we have summarized baggage charges by airline.

How a lot does it value to examine a bag?

The chart beneath compares the price of your first, second and third checked bag on main home airways in america.

Notice that this desk assumes you are buying a daily home fare sort and checking customary baggage that is not chubby or oversize. It additionally assumes you haven’t any elite standing and don’t carry a cobranded airline credit card with a checked-bag profit. The worth for flights outdoors of the U.S. would possibly fluctuate barely.

As you may see, these charges are in every single place and vary from $0 to $100 to your first checked bag. With some airways, you can’t examine baggage with a fundamental fare sort, whereas different airways supply bundled fares that embrace checked baggage. Pay shut consideration to which fare you buy to reduce baggage charges.

You will additionally discover that some airways’ costs for checked luggage rely on the flight booked. With Frontier and Spirit, you need to use a fare calculator to see the precise value to your particular flight; paying to your baggage in the course of the reservation course of would be the least costly possibility with these two airways. For Hawaiian Airways, you may pay a lower cost for flights between the islands and the next value for flights to, from and inside North America.

Lastly, whereas most airways let you examine a bag as much as 50 kilos, Spirit and Frontier cap the burden of a typical checked bag at 40 kilos. After that, you may pay a fairly penny for chubby luggage.

How a lot does it value to carry a carry-on bag?

Some airways additionally cost for carry-on baggage. That is often restricted to low-cost carriers, however you may wish to take note of your allowances earlier than your subsequent flight. For some airways, you may discover that checking a bag is inexpensive than bringing it on the airplane with you.

Here is a chart indicating carry-on bag allowances for home flights with most main U.S. airways.

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Provider	Allowance	Restrictions
Alaska Airways	One private merchandise and one carry-on merchandise
American Airways	One private merchandise and one carry-on merchandise	The private merchandise should be capable to match beneath the seat in entrance of you.
Delta Air Strains	One private merchandise and one carry-on merchandise
Frontier Airways	One private merchandise; a carry-on merchandise prices $55 to $99	The private merchandise should be capable to match beneath the seat in entrance of you.
Hawaiian Airways	One private merchandise and one carry-on merchandise
JetBlue	One private merchandise and one carry-on merchandise	Blue Fundamental passengers can not carry a bigger carry-on for the overhead bin, only a private merchandise.
Southwest Airways	One private merchandise and one carry-on merchandise
Spirit Airways	One private merchandise; a carry-on merchandise prices $26 to $65
United Airways	One private merchandise and one carry-on merchandise	Fundamental financial system passengers should not allowed to carry a bigger carry-on for the overhead bin, only a private merchandise.

You will discover that almost all airways do not cost a payment to carry a carry-on bag, however you might be restricted to 1 private merchandise and one carry-on merchandise.

A private merchandise is a backpack, laptop computer bag, digital camera bag or one other small merchandise you may stow beneath the seat in entrance of you, whereas a carry-on is often a bigger bag or small suitcase that matches within the overhead bin above your seat. Every airline has totally different dimension limits, so you may wish to examine your baggage dimension and your airline’s coverage earlier than heading to the airport.

As with checked luggage, the payment for bringing a carry-on bag for Frontier and Spirit varies. Each airways supply a baggage calculator to examine the worth when reserving your flight.

Relating to fundamental financial system fares, United is the one one of many Large Three main U.S. airways that does not enable a free carry-on bag. United additionally expenses an extra $25 gate dealing with payment (on high of the common baggage payment) if an financial system passenger brings a full-size bag to the gate which should then be checked.

Ideas for avoiding checked bag charges

As a result of baggage charges can add up shortly, attempt to keep away from them each time potential.

The simplest means to do that is to make use of the corresponding airline’s cobranded bank card. For all the above carriers, besides Frontier, there’s at the least one bank card that’ll waive the payment to your first checked bag. Most additionally lengthen the favor to further companions touring on the identical reservation (excluding Hawaiian).

Nevertheless, perks fluctuate by card and airline; some are extra restrictive than others. For instance, to make the most of the primary bag without cost profit on the United℠ Explorer Card, it’s essential to buy your ticket utilizing the cardboard.

With most different airline playing cards, merely having cardholder standing is ample, whatever the card you swiped on the time of buy. Equally, with the United Explorer Card, just one further passenger can reap the advantages; in the meantime, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card permits as much as eight touring companions to examine their luggage for no further value.

One other choice to keep away from checked bag charges is to carry elite standing with the airline’s frequent flyer program. All airways talked about right here supply at the least one free checked bag to sure elite members (besides Southwest, which presents two free checked luggage to everybody).

For instance, American permits one customary, 50-pound bag for Gold, two for Platinum and three for Platinum Professional and Govt Platinum.

Listed below are just a few extra methods to keep away from checked baggage charges, together with chubby or oversize charges:

Gate examine

Most airways let you gate-check carry-on luggage for no further value — and so they’ll typically power vacationers to take action when overhead bin area is tight.

The exceptions are usually low-cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier, and legacy carriers when touring on fundamental financial system fares. In any other case, most airways are glad to gate-check nearly no matter you need — and you could even have luck doing this earlier than boarding begins.

If you happen to gate-check your baggage, make sure the airline checks it by way of to baggage declare. Nevertheless, it’s essential to declare some objects, reminiscent of strollers, wheelchairs and even rolling carry-ons on regional planes, on the gate upon arrival.

Learn the foundations carefully

As punitive as airline baggage insurance policies may be, some useful exceptions exist. For instance, most U.S. carriers allow you to examine skis, snowboards and boots as a single checked bag — even when your skis are in a special bag out of your boots. The identical typically holds for hockey tools, which generally does not require an extra payment so long as it is inside the usual weight allotment.

Earlier than you go to the airport, take a screenshot of the foundations in case you encounter an agent who’s unfamiliar with unusual checked objects.

Attempt curbside check-in

Test-in brokers on the curb are sometimes contractors, not airline workers. So, they might have much less incentive to strictly implement the airline’s baggage guidelines. Moreover, some areas might not have scales to weigh the baggage.

Carry the heavy stuff on board

Within the U.S., carry-on weight restrictions are hardly ever (if ever) enforced. So, when packing to your subsequent trip, put heavy objects in your carry-on bag slightly than threat having to pay for chubby checked luggage.

Purchase a baggage scale

For underneath $10, yow will discover a small, light-weight hanging scale for weighing baggage. These scales are usually fairly correct and can enable you keep underneath your required weight. You will additionally keep away from being that particular person repacking their luggage on the airport and holding up everybody else.