You want to make sure that you’re prepared for air travel ahead of time. When you’re flying somewhere on vacation or on business, it’s important to know what to expect. If you go in without the right knowledge, then it’s possible that you’ll be blindsided by certain fees. There are many different fees associated with air travel but the most common that you will encounter are airline baggage fees.
The baggage fees are going to be different depending on which airline you’re traveling with as well. Knowing this, it’s a good idea to look things up before your travel date arrives. This will prepare you and will allow you to ensure that you have enough cash to pay for certain fees. Below, we are going to be taking a look at everything you need to know about airline baggage fees.
This is going to give you all of the necessary information. All of the major U.S. airlines are covered here. Take the time to read through so that you’ll never be caught off guard. It won’t take long to inform yourself and it might help you to choose a certain airline over the others as your preferred option.
United Airlines Baggage Fees
United Airlines is one of the most popular airlines in all of the United States. It serves millions of people each year and you’ll definitely want to know about their baggage fees before moving forward. This airline generally charges similar baggage fees to its competitors but it may be higher in certain areas. Knowing this, you’ll be able to anticipate how much money your checked bags are going to add to your overall ticket price.
Carry-on Bags
- 1: Free (restrictions apply)
Checked Bags
- 1st checked bag: $25 to $30
- 2nd checked bag: $35
- 3 or more checked bags: $150
Overweight Bags
- 1: $100-$200
Oversized Bags
- 1: $200
Pet Fees
- Pet in cabin: $125
- Held in cargo area: $201-$1034
United Airlines has some of the higher baggage fees among all of the airlines in the U.S. It is a good idea to be aware of some of the restrictions of this airline too. For example, this airline offers basic economy tickets at a reduced price. These fares differ from standard economy tickets in that you will not be allowed to check a bag and will only be able to bring one personal item on your flight.
If you’re looking for the best possible deal, then you’ll need to be able to travel very light when flying with United Airlines. Depending on your situation, this may work out just fine. It really comes down to your expectations and what you plan to take with you on your flight. Looking at the above information will at least allow you to be prepared for everything.
Also, take note that United Airlines offers a convenient online baggage calculation tool. This can tell you exact fees for an upcoming flight. It is a good idea to check things out using this tool even when you know the numbers listed above. You can see by looking at the numbers that there is some variance in the pricing so do your best to be prepared.
American Airlines Baggage Fees
For American Airlines, you’re going to need to remember that baggage allowances are going to differ depending on certain factors. Both your fare class and your member reward status are going to have an impact on what bags you will be allowed to take or how much fees are going to be. Before buying a ticket on American Airlines, it is a good idea to confirm which fare tiers are allowed to have a carry-on bag. Take a look at the fees below to get an idea for how American Airlines stacks up.
Carry-on Bags
- 1: Free or $25
Checked Bags
- 1: $25
- 2: $35
- 3 or more: $150
Overweight Bags
- 1: $100-$200
Oversized Bags
- 1: $200
Pet Fees
- Pet in cabin: $125
- Held in cargo area: $200
After looking at the information above, you will see that the fees are mostly in line with what United Airlines is offering. You will have to make sure that you are even able to bring a carry-on to your flight without being charged a fee. You might not be eligible for a carry-on unless you pay the $25 fee. This makes American Airlines a bit trickier than some of the other options on this list.
You’ll be allowed to have a carry-on bag unless you’ve purchased a basic economy ticket. You’re going to be allowed to check up to ten bags when flying on this airline. This applies to domestic flights as well as transatlantic and transpacific flights. Other flights will allow you to check up to five bags.
Alaska Airlines Baggage Fees
Alaska Airlines is actually going to make things a little bit simpler for you. They give you fixed baggage fees that are very easy to understand. Many customers are going to prefer this as it eliminates confusion. This is going to make it a lot easier to keep your costs low since you’ll have a good idea of what to expect no matter what type of ticket you purchased.
Carry-on Bags
- 1: Free
Checked Bags
- 1: $25
- 2: $25
- 3 or more: $75
Overweight Bags
- 1: $75
Oversized Bags
- 1: $75
Pet Fees
- Pet in cabin: $100 (1)
- Held in cargo area: $100 (1)
The baggage fees at Alaska Airlines are very reasonable overall. When compared to the prior two airlines, they’re very favorable. This airline is customer-friendly when it comes to structuring their baggage fees. It makes things so much simpler when you’re trying to keep your costs down.
You’ll be able to check bags a bit more easily when you’re flying with Alaska Airlines. If you need to check more than one bag, then the fee on your second bag is going to be the same as the first. This is a good airline to make use of if you need to pack a lot of stuff. Consider flying with Alaska Airlines when possible.
Delta Airlines Baggage Fees
Delta is another one of the large airlines that people fly with all the time. As one of the larger airlines, this is going to be a common one that you will come across when searching for a good deal on airfare. Thankfully, Delta has fairly middle-of-the-road baggage fees. The fees listed are going to be for flights within Canada and the United States.
As with some of the other airlines, fees are going to vary somewhat depending on your fare class as well as your member reward status. This is why it is a good idea to look into specific information for your ticket. This will give you a 100% accurate idea of how your baggage fees are going to look.
Carry-on Bags
- 1: Free
Checked Bags within US
- 1: Free for Delta One, First, and Business Class; otherwise $30
- 2: Free for Delta One, First, and Business Class; otherwise $40
- 3: $150
- 4 or more: $200
Overweight Bags
- 1: $100-$200
Oversized Bags
- 1: $200
Pet Fees
- 1 in cabin: $125
- 1 held in cargo area: Based on kennel size (varies)
Baggage fees can vary quite a bit with Delta Airlines. They also really change things up depending on the class of your airfare. Also, certain baggage fees may be charged in Canadian currency and then converted into the local currency. You’ll want to be prepared for this ahead of time.
JetBlue Baggage Fees
JetBlue is a common airline that people make use of as well. There is not really much that stands out about their baggage fees. This is going to be an airline that falls in the middle of the pack when it comes to baggage fees. As long as you know what to expect, you’ll never be caught off guard by the fees that they charge.
Carry-on Bags
- 1: Free
Checked Bags
- 1: $25
- 2: $35
- 3 or more: $100
Overweight Bags
- 1: $100
Oversized Bags
- 1: $100
Pet Fees
- Pet in cabin: $100 (1)
- Held in cargo area: Not allowed
It’s easy to see that JetBlue Airlines doesn’t have the best baggage fees when compared to the other options. It is just about the same as some of the options and worse than some of the more customer-friendly airlines. Even so, the fees being charged are not shocking in any way. It’s simply important to be prepared for the fees they charge ahead of time so that you will know how to best pack for your flight.
Southwest Airlines Baggage Fees
Southwest Airlines manages to stand out from the competition in a few positive ways. The most important thing to know about this airline is that they offer two free checked bags with every ticket purchase. This is going to be a great deal for anyone who needs to take several items with him or her on a trip. It helps you to avoid spending much money on baggage fees and keeps things as convenient as possible.
Carry-on Bags
- 1: Free
Checked Bags
- 1: Free
- 2: Free
- 3 or more: $75
Overweight Bags
- 1: $75
Oversized Bags
- 1: $75
Pet Fees
- Pet in cabin: $95
- Held in cargo area: Not allowed
Looking at the above airline fees, you’ll see that Southwest Airlines is one of the most reasonably priced airlines when it comes to baggage fees. This is definitely one of the recommended airlines to travel with when you want to keep the fees as low as possible. For some people, it winds up becoming more practical to buy a slightly more expensive ticket with Southwest Airlines than it is to buy a cheaper one for United Airlines. Much of this is going to depend on the situation but it is worth noting.
If you want to be able to avoid baggage fees, then you’ll “WANNA GET AWAY” with Southwest who gives you a reasonable chance of doing that. Being able to enjoy free checked bags is a great perk. This will definitely make traveling that much easier for just about anyone. If you can fly with Southwest Airlines, then you should have a good overall experience.
Our Final Thoughts on Airline Baggage Fees
Now that you have all of the information about airline baggage fees that you need to know, you will be able to make an informed decision. This gives you a much better idea of what to expect. You will be able to feel prepared for any baggage fees that you’re about to incur. As you can see based on the information above, fees can vary a bit from airline to airline.
Some of the airlines on this list are really good at giving passengers the best deals possible. Others are going to be less than customer-friendly. Those who are flying with budget tickets at the basic economy level will likely want to limit their baggage as much as possible. Sometimes you may not even be allowed to have a traditional carry-on bag without paying some type of special fee.
As long as you know this ahead of time, you can decide whether your airline ticket is truly going to be a good value. You have to factor in these fees when determining the overall cost of a flight. Failure to do so is going to make it tough to stick to your budget. Use the above information to give yourself a good idea of what you should expect moving forward.
It’s also important to keep in mind that these fees will change over time. This information is accurate as of the time of writing but it will likely change moving forward. If you’re ever curious about the baggage fees, it is a good idea to go directly to the source in order to get the most up-to-date information. Just remember to be proactive and you’ll never wind up facing baggage fees that you aren’t prepared for.
