Incidental airline charges are an enormous enterprise for the key airways within the U.S., and checked bag charges, particularly, are a key driver of airline profitability these days. These added companies introduced in over $6.7 billion in 2022 alone — and so they’ve continued to extend. The previous few years have seen airways like Alaska, American, JetBlue and United hike their charges for checked baggage.
It is protected to say that nobody needs to pony up a further $70 (or extra) to examine a bag on a round-trip, home flight — particularly when vacation journey prices are already fairly excessive.
Happily, there are a handful of easy methods to keep away from paying these charges. We’ll undergo how you can keep away from checked baggage charges on the key carriers within the U.S.
Most typical airline bag charges
There are a number of frequent bag charges imposed by many of the main airways within the U.S. The primary is for any checked bag, sometimes beginning at $35 every means however rapidly growing as you add a second or third suitcase. You may additionally fall sufferer to a further charge for checking an obese bag, which typically kicks in when you surpass 50 kilos. Lastly, suitcases over a sure measurement (typically measured in linear inches — size plus width plus peak) will virtually all the time require a further charge, as will sure sorts of specialty baggage, like scuba tools.
For extra particulars, listed below are hyperlinks to our particular person guides on U.S. airways’ bag charge insurance policies:
Nonetheless, it is price noting that revealed insurance policies might have some wiggle room. I’ve generally had an airline settle for my 52-pound bag with out tacking on an obese charge. Plus, when you have airline standing, you should still be capable of persuade a sympathetic check-in agent to waive the bag charge.
Happily, there are some tried-and-true methods to get round these added prices forward of your subsequent journey.
Finest methods to keep away from checked bag charges
Typically talking, there are 5 foremost methods to keep away from paying checked baggage charges in your subsequent flight:
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- Maintain elite standing (or journey with a buddy/member of the family with elite standing)
- Carry the correct airline bank card (or journey with a buddy/member of the family with the correct card)
- Use a journey bank card that covers ancillary prices like baggage charges
- Buy a premium ticket (sometimes premium financial system, enterprise or firstclass)
- Journey below a particular circumstance or to a selected vacation spot
In fact, you may additionally decide to fly with Southwest Airways, which permits all prospects to examine two baggage weighing as much as 50 kilos every free of charge. Alternatively, you may attempt to match the whole lot right into a carry-on suitcase, which remains to be complimentary on many airways.
Nonetheless, it is price noting that some fundamental financial system tickets do not embody rolling carry-ons, together with home United tickets in fundamental financial system. In the meantime, each Spirit and Frontier sometimes require you to pay for a bigger carry-on bag.
Associated: 7 suggestions to assist hold an airline from dropping your baggage
Let’s take a better take a look at every of those methods so you possibly can keep away from checked bag charges in your subsequent journey.
Use elite standing perks
Airline elite standing may be fairly beneficial to many vacationers, and it isn’t nearly first-class upgrades and lounge entry. The overwhelming majority of those tiers — even the bottom ones — can help you examine a bag free of charge. Nonetheless, the precise waiver relies on the airline and might fluctuate as you climb the elite standing ladder.
For instance, all Delta Medallion vacationers get pleasure from at the least one free checked bag — as much as 70 kilos on flights inside the U.S. and Canada and 50 kilos on worldwide flights. This allowance jumps to a pair of luggage for Gold Medallions, whereas Platinum and Diamond Medallion vacationers get pleasure from three free baggage.
United additionally grants Premier vacationers a 70-pound weight allowance for checked baggage — one for Premier Silver, two for Premier Gold, and three for Premier Platinum and Premier 1K.
American follows an analogous technique for the amount of checked baggage — one for Gold, two for Platinum, and three for Platinum Professional and Government Platinum. Nonetheless, except you are confirmed in enterprise or firstclass, you are restricted to 50 kilos (aside from flights to and from Australia or New Zealand.
Observe that many of those perks lengthen to companion flights as effectively. If in case you have elite standing with any airline in Sky Staff, Star Alliance or Oneworld, you must be capable of examine your baggage free of charge (or get pleasure from an elevated allowance for checked baggage) on companion airways.
For extra particulars on the perks of elite standing, take a look at these guides:
Associated: So, what precisely is elite standing in journey — and the way can I get it?
Get an airline bank card
Qualifying for elite standing could also be out of the query for leisure vacationers, however fortunately, most U.S. carriers supply an easier pathway to free checked baggage: opening an airline bank card. The overwhelming majority of cobranded playing cards from U.S. airways waive the primary checked bag charge on home itineraries. In truth, many of those perks lengthen to companions — as much as eight on the identical reservation, in some instances. And a few can be found with annual charges of lower than $100.
In different phrases, by merely holding the correct bank card, you and your whole household might examine a bag free of charge in your subsequent journey.
Every service makes use of barely totally different guidelines for these insurance policies, however this is a abstract of the playing cards that provide this perk:
*The data for the AAdvantage Aviator Pink World Elite Mastercard, Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® World Elite Mastercard®, Frontier Airways World Mastercard®, JetBlue Plus Card and JetBlue Enterprise Card have been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Sadly, Spirit Airways, the opposite main low-cost service within the U.S., would not supply this perk with its cobranded card.
It is price mentioning that many of those perks apply routinely based mostly on the loyalty program account related to the cardboard. Nonetheless, just a few airways require you to pay to your airfare with the cobranded card to obtain the bag charge waiver.
Associated: Frontier Airways now providing free baggage for cardholders
Use a journey bank card
Many vacationers aren’t loyal to a given airline, so it might not make sense to carry a United card if you happen to solely journey with United annually, for instance. Fortunately, lots of the finest bank cards for journey embody credit that may cowl checked bag charges whenever you incur them, and a few of them aren’t restricted to particular person airways.
Listed below are just a few examples:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Every year, Sapphire Reserve cardholders obtain as much as a $300 journey credit score that is utilized to nearly any travel-related buy, together with checked bag charges. Any eligible buy will likely be routinely credited again to you inside a day or two of posting to your account.
- The Platinum Card® from American Categorical: The Amex Platinum offers cardholders with as much as $200 in assertion credit per calendar 12 months to cowl incidentals like seat assignments, lounge passes and checked bag charges (enrollment is required for choose advantages). The one draw back is that it’s a must to designate a single airline initially of the calendar 12 months, so you possibly can’t use this throughout a number of carriers.
- Hilton Honors American Categorical Aspire Card: The Hilton Aspire card offers as much as $200 per 12 months ($50 per quarter) in annual airline charge credit, which work similar to the Amex Platinum’s credit score (enrollment is required for choose advantages). If in case you have each playing cards, you possibly can designate two separate airways, one for every card.
- Financial institution of America® Premium Rewards® bank card: If you cannot abdomen a big annual charge, think about opening the Premium Rewards card from Financial institution of America. This card comes with an up-to-$100 annual airline incidental charge assertion credit score that can be utilized for checked bag charges, together with an affordable annual charge of $95.
The data for the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Associated: Finest bank cards with airline charge credit
As well as, you may look to make use of a card just like the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card to pay for checked bag charges. The miles you earn on this card may be redeemed to cowl journey purchases, so you’ve gotten the chance to make use of your miles for these purchases.
E-book a premium-cabin ticket
Whenever you journey in a premium class of service, you may typically get pleasure from waived checked bag charges — in lots of instances above and past the usual weight allowance as effectively. These insurance policies sometimes apply whether or not you paid money or miles to your ticket, so this may be a good way to make use of your journey rewards and never have to fret about additional bag charges.
For instance, listed below are the luggage advantages for vacationers confirmed in a premium cabin on American Airways:
- Premium financial system: Two free checked baggage (as much as 50 kilos every)
- Home firstclass: Two free checked baggage (as much as 70 kilos every)
- Flagship First and Flagship Enterprise: Three free checked baggage (as much as 70 kilos every)
You may take a look at your working service’s checked baggage web page for full particulars on what’s included to your particular journey.
Associated: Take the quick lane by way of baggage declare with these 7 suggestions
Journey to pick out locations
Past the above methods, many airways waive checked bag charges for all prospects when touring to particular areas. For instance, American has an inventory of locations the place all prospects can examine a free bag, together with Argentina, Brazil, China, India and Japan. This additionally extends to all transatlantic travels. And if you happen to’re flying American to both Australia or New Zealand, your free bag may even weigh as much as 70 kilos.
Nonetheless, this typically would not apply to fundamental financial system tickets, and there could also be seasonal restrictions for sure locales.
Whatever the airline you are flying, be sure you analysis your baggage allowance forward of time so what to anticipate — and do not encounter an costly shock on the airport.
Backside line
Whether or not we prefer it or not, airline bag charges (and different incidental expenses) are doubtless right here to remain. On all main U.S. airways aside from Southwest, you may sometimes pay at the least $70 for the privilege of checking a single bag on a round-trip home flight. Nonetheless, there are lots of methods you possibly can keep away from these charges, together with elite standing, airline-cobranded bank cards and in particular circumstances. There are even some common bank cards that may assist reduce the impression of those expenses.
For those who’re simply beginning out on this planet of factors and miles, you may wish to pay shut consideration to those bag charges, as they are often fairly expensive if you happen to take a number of flights. And with many methods to forestall this from occurring, hopefully, you may hardly ever need to pay a checked baggage charge.
