Do all airlines charge for checked luggage

Quick answer: Policies differ by carrier and ticket type. Domestic legacy operators often treat a first hold item as an extra-fee item on basic economy; typical pricing: $30 for the initial piece, $40–$50 for the second. International long-haul and premium cabins usually include at least one stowed piece in the ticket price.

Low-cost carriers and ultra-budget operators frequently price hold pieces separately and levy higher sums at the airport than during booking. Typical ranges: $25–$60 on U.S. domestic sectors, €10–€70 across short-haul Europe depending on route and timing. Adding a bag at reservation often saves $10–$30 versus counter rates; kiosk and gate additions are pricier.

Practical steps: 1) Read the fare rules and baggage allowance line before purchase. 2) Add hold items during booking to secure lower rates. 3) Measure and weigh suitcases at home – oversize/overweight penalties commonly run $50–$200. 4) For short trips, prioritize a carry-on plus a personal item to eliminate stowed-item costs. 5) When comparing carriers, compare total door-to-door price including any bag, seat, and advance baggage fees rather than base fare alone.

How to find a carrier’s hold-bag fee before you buy

Open the operator’s baggage-policy page then run a mock booking with your exact itinerary and passenger type; the booking summary or extras screen will show the bag fee and any included allowance.

1. Locate the official baggage page: search the carrier site for “baggage”, “allowance”, “extras” or “fees”. Look for a table showing free items versus optional add‑ons and note the specific wording for cabin class and route (domestic, transatlantic, long‑haul).

2. Do a dry run in the booking flow: enter origin, destination, dates and fare class, then proceed to the seats/extras stage. Add a hold bag option so the final price breakdown displays the exact cost you’ll pay when purchasing ahead of departure.

3. Read the fare rules and fare family descriptions: cheap basic fares frequently exclude a hold bag; standard or premium fares may include the first bag. The fare rules PDF often lists size, weight and whether any bag is complimentary for that ticket.

4. Check weight/size limits and penalty table: common limits are 23 kg (50 lb) and 158 cm (62 linear in) for economy hold items; overweight or oversize penalties usually run from about $75 up to $200+ depending on excess.

5. Compare booking vs airport prices: pre-purchased bag options online or via the carrier app are typically cheaper. Expect airport purchases to be $10–$50 higher and baggage drop at gate to be the most expensive.

6. Confirm benefit exclusions or waivers: corporate fares, frequent‑traveller tiers and certain credit cards can waive the first bag fee. Verify eligibility by entering your loyalty number or payment card during booking and checking the summary.

7. For multi‑segment or codeshare itineraries: identify the operating carrier for each flight and check both the ticketing and operating carrier policies. If policies differ, call reservations to confirm which rule applies to your ticket.

8. Use fee‑comparison tools cautiously: third‑party sites may list typical costs but can be outdated. Prefer the carrier’s site or recent screenshots from trusted travel forums if you need cross‑verification.

9. Keep records: save the booking price breakdown and screenshots of baggage terms; use those when checking in or disputing an unexpected at‑airport cost.

Checklist before paying

• Number of hold bags included (if any) and per‑bag fee if not included
• Weight and size limits, plus overweight/oversize penalty amounts
• Whether your fare class, loyalty status or co‑branded card waives fees
• Difference between online/prepaid vs airport purchase prices
• Operating carrier on each segment for connecting itineraries
• Deadline to add baggage online (often up to check‑in or 24–48 hours before departure)

Which major carriers still include one free first bag on economy fares (U.S. overview)

Pick Southwest when you need at least one free bag: Southwest permits two free bags per passenger on domestic coach itineraries, including Wanna Get Away fares.

Hawaiian typically includes one complimentary bag on many U.S. mainland↔Hawaii main-cabin itineraries; inter-island allowances differ, so verify the specific routing during booking.

American, Delta, United: domestic basic-economy and many standard main-cabin fares no longer include a complimentary first bag. Complimentary allowance generally appears on long-haul international economy, premium-cabin tickets, to elite-status members, or with co-branded credit products (examples: United Explorer Card, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express, American AAdvantage Aviator Red).

Low-cost carriers such as Spirit, Frontier, Allegiant assess a fee for suitcases at purchase, during online check-in, or at the airport; plan accordingly when comparing total trip cost.

If routing through DFW, add a visit to the best aquarium in dfw while you confirm baggage allowance on your itinerary.

Practical booking steps

1) When suitcase inclusion matters, prioritize Southwest on domestic itineraries. 2) Add a co-branded card to the primary traveler profile when using American, Delta, or United to trigger bag benefits tied to that card. 3) Inspect the fare rules on the booking page and the confirmation email: look for explicit wording about the first bag, elite exemptions, and route-specific exceptions. 4) If unsure, call the carrier’s reservations line and read the baggage section on the carrier website before final payment.

How elite status, carrier credit cards and family bookings waive first-bag fees

Get mid-tier program status or a co-branded card to eliminate the first-bag fee on domestic economy tickets and often extend that benefit to companions on the same reservation.

Elite status: what levels and how to use the benefit

Typical qualification begins at Silver/Gold tiers in major U.S. programs: United MileagePlus Premier Silver and above, Delta SkyMiles Silver Medallion and above, American AAdvantage Gold and above. These tiers normally remove the first-bag fee for the member on main-cabin fares; many programs also apply the waiver to passengers listed on the same PNR when the member’s frequent‑flyer number is attached. Action steps: add your FF number at booking, confirm the waiver appears on the itinerary receipt, and show digital or plastic membership at check-in if the waiver isn’t applied automatically.

Carrier-branded cards and family/group bookings: practical rules

Co-branded plastic commonly removes the initial bag fee for the primary cardholder; examples include United Explorer Card, Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select, Delta SkyMiles cards and Alaska Airlines Visa. Companion coverage varies by issuer: some cards extend the benefit to one companion on the same reservation, others to multiple passengers – verify the cardmember benefits page or call the issuer before travel. For family/group reservations, insert the elite or cardmember’s FF number into the PNR to propagate the waiver across the group; if check-in systems fail to apply it, request baggage waiver at the counter and keep screenshots of the card benefit page and your itinerary. For carry-on heavy trips, consider a compact pack instead of a paid first bag – see best under armour backpack for travel to compare high-capacity options that meet most overhead bin limits.

Domestic vs international routes: how hold-bag allowances and fees differ

Recommendation: weigh and measure each bag at home, prepay any extra-piece or overweight fees online, and confirm the ticketing carrier’s baggage rule printed on your itinerary before arrival at the airport.

• Typical domestic patterns
  • Pricing model: piece-based on most low-cost carriers; typical online prepay prices in the U.S.: first piece ~$30, second piece ~$40–45 one-way; airport walk-up rates often 25–50% higher.
  • Weight/size limits: common maximum 50 lb (23 kg) and 62 linear inches (158 cm) combined dimensions; overweight fees usually start near $75 and rise steeply above 70 lb (32 kg).
  • Short-hop exceptions: some regional operations restrict size to smaller dimensions or ban big suitcases in certain turboprop cabins.
• Typical international patterns
  • Pricing model: many long-haul markets use piece concept on tickets between continents – economy frequently includes 1 or 2 pieces depending on route and fare class; other markets use weight concept (e.g., total kg allowance per passenger).
  • Weight/size rules: standard international economy piece = 23 kg (50 lb); premium cabins often permit 32 kg (70 lb) per piece; maximum linear dimension usually 158 cm.
  • Excess/oversize penalties: overweight fees commonly range $75–$200 per segment; oversized fees can exceed $100–$400 depending on aircraft and operator policy.
  • Interline itineraries: the most applicable rule is typically that of the carrier issuing the ticket or the operator of the international segment; verify on the e-ticket receipt to avoid surprises.

Concrete steps to reduce costs and delays:

1. Prepay extras online where possible – savings versus airport purchase can be 20–50%.
2. Redistribute weight across multiple pieces when piece limits are stricter than weight limits; use a digital scale to remain under the threshold printed on your ticket.
3. Measure linear dimensions and use soft-sided bags that compress into overhead bins on cramped aircraft.
4. On mixed domestic+international itineraries, treat the international ruleset as binding until confirmation from the ticketing carrier states otherwise.
5. Consider shipping large or heavy items ahead when overweight/oversize fees exceed shipping costs between departure and arrival cities.

• Special items: sporting gear and musical instruments may be accepted as checked items under separate tariffs or as cargo; prebook these items since acceptance at the gate can be denied or very expensive.
• Carry-on note: cabin bag allowances remain independent of hold-bag rules; verify maximum cabin dimensions to avoid gate gate-checks that may incur fees or delays.
• Kid packing tip: use a slim under-seat daypack to carry valuables and essentials – best backpack for fourth graders.

Prepay online vs pay at the airport: saving money and adding a bag step‑by‑step

Prepay online to save roughly $5–30 per bag and avoid counter queues; pay at the airport only when prepayment is impossible or time is extremely tight.

Prepay online: step-by-step savings

1) Check the carrier’s baggage fee table during booking or via the “Manage booking” page; note price per piece, size limits, weight limits and any online-only discounts. 2) Add the bag to your reservation immediately while selecting seats or during web check-in; many operators apply the lowest rate at that moment. 3) Use the carrier app or web portal to complete payment and save a screenshot or PDF of the receipt and baggage record locator. 4) Weigh and measure your bag at home: common domestic U.S. first-piece prepaid ranges are $25–35, second-piece $35–60; paying at the counter often costs $10–30 more. 5) At the airport, use kiosks to print bag tags and drop bags at bag-drop lines if available; kiosk tagging preserves the online price and speeds the process.

Pay at the airport: step-by-step risks and when it makes sense

1) If unable to prepay (third-party bookings, certain interline itineraries, or last-minute upgrades), proceed to a self-service kiosk or agent counter to add a bag. 2) Expect higher on-site rates: many operators levy a premium that can raise the first-piece price to $35–60 domestic or significantly higher at gate. 3) Factor in time loss: add 15–45 minutes for queues and paperwork during peak periods. 4) Watch for overweight and oversize fees; a 50–70 lb threshold often triggers extra costs of $50–150, which remain unchanged regardless of prepayment. 5) If baggage allowance is included via a loyalty benefit or branded card, bring documentation to the counter to avoid unnecessary payment.

Practical checklist: compare online vs counter totals before finalizing travel, pay online when possible, save proof of purchase, weigh bags at home, arrive with 45–90 extra minutes when planning a same‑day bag purchase at the airport.

Oversize, overweight and special‑item fees: limits, surcharges and how to avoid them

Weigh and measure every bag and specialty item at home: common hold limits are 50 lb (23 kg) and 62 linear inches (158 cm); overruns typically trigger surcharges that range from roughly $75 up to $400 depending on excess and route.

Typical fee bands (U.S. domestic examples): overweight 51–70 lb ≈ $75–$150; overweight 71–100 lb ≈ $150–$400; oversize (>62 in / 158 cm) ≈ $100–$200; items over 100 lb often must travel as freight. Specialty gear (skis, bikes, surfboards) commonly incurs $50–$200; musical instruments may be accepted as carry‑on, stowed in the hold with a fee, or require purchasing an extra seat.

Practical steps that reduce unexpected fees: weigh bags on a home scale; use compressible soft bags rather than rigid suitcases; distribute heavy items across passengers; pack toiletries and dense items in carry‑on; pre‑book special‑item handling or cargo when transporting bikes or large instruments; consider ground freight for items >70 lb or awkward shapes; insure costly equipment and document condition before travel.

When transporting fragile or valuable items, purchasing a second seat can cost less than replacement or repair plus special handling fees; alternately, use professional instrument shippers that provide door‑to‑door tracking and dedicated handling.

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