Airline baggage charges: How a lot it prices to verify a bag on main US airways

Airline baggage charges can differ tremendously, and there is nothing worse than being hit unexpectedly charges after reserving.

At TPG, we intention 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 price to verify 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 an everyday home fare sort and checking commonplace baggage that is not chubby or oversize. It additionally assumes you don’t have any elite standing and don’t carry a cobranded airline bank card with a checked-bag profit. The worth for flights exterior of the U.S. would possibly differ barely.

As you possibly can see, these charges are all over and vary from $0 to $100 in your first checked bag. With some airways, you can’t verify baggage with a fundamental fare sort, whereas different airways supply bundled fares that embody 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 depend upon the flight booked. With Frontier and Spirit, you should use a fare calculator to see the precise value in your particular flight; paying in your baggage throughout the reservation course of would be the least costly choice with these two airways. For Hawaiian Airways, you may pay a cheaper price for flights between the islands and a better value for flights to, from and inside North America.

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

How a lot does it price to deliver 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 aircraft with you.

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

You will discover that the majority airways do not cost a charge to deliver 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 possibly can stow beneath the seat in entrance of you, whereas a carry-on is usually 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 verify your baggage dimension and your airline’s coverage earlier than heading to the airport.

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

In the case of fundamental economic system fares, United is the one one of many Large Three main U.S. airways that does not permit a free carry-on bag. United additionally fees a further $25 gate dealing with charge (on high of the common baggage charge) if an economic system passenger brings a full-size bag to the gate which should then be checked.

Greatest airways for bags charges

As you possibly can see, Southwest is by far the very best airline for bags charges because it’s the one airline that enables each two carry-on objects (one private merchandise and one bigger carry-on bag) and two checked luggage without cost.

If you have to verify a 3rd bag, the charge is $150.

On the other finish of the spectrum, Spirit and Frontier are the 2 worst airways for bags charges. Though fares may be decrease, you may wish to calculate your baggage charges to find out whether or not your general journey price is decrease.

Ideas for avoiding checked bag charges

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

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

Nonetheless, perks differ 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, you could 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 extra passenger can reap the advantages; in the meantime, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Categorical Card permits as much as eight touring companions to verify their luggage for no extra price.

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 very least one free checked bag to sure elite members (besides Southwest, which affords two free checked luggage to everybody).

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

Listed here are a number of extra methods to keep away from checked baggage charges, together with chubby or oversize charges:

Gate verify

Most airways mean you can gate-check carry-on baggage for no extra price — 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 economic system fares. In any other case, most airways are completely satisfied to gate-check nearly no matter you want — and it’s possible you’ll even have luck doing this earlier than boarding begins.

When you gate-check your baggage, make sure the airline checks it by means of to baggage declare. Nonetheless, you could declare some objects, similar to strollers, wheelchairs and even rolling carry-ons on regional planes, on the gate upon arrival.

Learn the principles intently

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

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

Strive curbside check-in

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

Carry the heavy stuff on board

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

Purchase a baggage scale

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

Backside line

Bag charges are an unlucky actuality of air journey in 2025. In sure conditions, you could possibly wind up spending tons of of {dollars} past the unique value you paid in your ticket. So, fastidiously contemplate baggage insurance policies earlier than leaping on that “nice deal.”

If there is a cobranded bank card or a simple technique to earn elite standing (one that gives waived baggage charges) for the actual airline you are flying, it may be price trying into these choices. You would possibly discover that the annual charge on the bank card is much lower than the checked bag charges for your loved ones over the course of the yr.

For airline-specific baggage guides, try:

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