Intermediate Strategies
Best ways to avoid checked bag fees
If you'd like to save some cash on your next international trip, check out these five clever ways for beating airline baggage fees.
The only airline to not charge for checked baggage is Southwest Airlines. All other airlines charge an addition cost to check luggage. Some airlines will permit 1 checked bag for free depending on the fare you purchase. If you are a member of a frequent flyer club, you may also qualify for free baggage.
Checked Bag Fees Come At a Big Cost to the Airlines
Passengers carry on more bags because they'd have to pay to check them. That slows down the boarding process. Slower boarding means less efficient use of aircraft and more delays, which can cost airlines nearly as much as they're taking in in bag fees.
Luggage fees
However, if you simply cannot do without your checked luggage, try to pay for the bag online, as it is typically much cheaper to purchase your bag on the airline's website rather than pay up front at the check-in counter.
Fly in a premium cabin
Overweight baggage fees can be far costlier than base charges for checked luggage. For example, American and United issue a fee of $100 for each checked bag weighing 50 – 70 pounds on domestic flights, or $200 for bags weighing more than 70 pounds.
| Baggage category | Fee | Max Size (L+W+H) |
|---|---|---|
| First checked bag | $30 | 62" |
| Second checked bag | $45 | 62" |
| Third checked bag | $150+ | 62" |
| Fourth(+) checked bag | $200+ | 62" |
Baggage fees are per bag and per direction. So one way = one charge. Round trip = two charges. If your flight has a connection, bags will generally transfer from flight to flight and no additional fees will apply.
Winner: Southwest Airlines
American, Alaska, Delta and Hawaiian charge $30 for a checked bag, while JetBlue charges $35 for the same. Frontier and United both charge for overhead carry-ons, though United technically doesn't allow overhead carry-ons for basic economy, charging $25 to gate check the bag instead.
Emirates offers 30kg allowance with their Flex ticket, Qatar offers 30kg in one bag on many flights and Etihad generally offers 23kg in one bag on economy fares. Next are the big worldwide long-haul carriers. British Airways' baggage allowance, for example, generally allows at least one 23kg bag on most fairs.
That's why we're giving you all the details about what you can and can't bring on board when you travel. Most travelers can bring on board one full-size carry-on bag and one personal item for free.
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