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A handful of airlines – Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines – have increased their checked bag fees this year. But if you plan ahead, such costs can be easily reduced or avoided altogether.
On Friday, United increased the fee to $40 for an initial checked bag at the airport, and to $35 for those who prepay online at least 24 hours before their flight — both representing a $5 increase.
American similarly raised its rates earlier last week. JetBlue also recently raised its checked bag fee to $45, and Alaska to $35.
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Such fare changes will “likely have the worst impact on families, as families tend to travel with checked bags,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, a platform that helps travelers find airline tickets.
Checked baggage fees represent big revenue
A checked bag is a bag that is kept in the cargo hold of an aircraft during a flight. While this service was free in years past, it is now standard for major airlines to charge for checked bags.
Major U.S. airlines started doing this in 2008, charging about $15 per bag, Nastro said.
By the end of 2023, it was about double that for many carriers: $30 to $35 for one checked bag, Nastro said. That means travelers who checked a bag on any leg of a round-trip route can add an additional $60 to $70 to the total cost of their base fare.
Recent changes from American and United mean travelers can now pay a total of $80 extra when checking one bag at the airport.
Rates generally increase for each additional checked bag.
Passengers paid about $6.8 billion in bag fees in 2022, the last full year for which data is available, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. That's up 17% from about $5.8 billion in 2019, even as fewer passengers flew on U.S. airlines in 2022, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
“Unless baggage is included in a higher class ticket (premium economy, first, business class, etc.), passengers should expect to be reimbursed,” said Eric Napoli, vice president of legal strategy at AirHelp, which helps passengers file claims for airline compensation, an email said.
Here's how budget-conscious consumers can reduce these costs and perhaps even avoid them altogether, according to travel experts.
1. Fly certain airlines
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There are a few airlines that still don't charge for checked baggage.
Southwest, for example, is the only outlier in the US, experts say. The carrier allows two free checked bags.
The 'Big Three' Gulf Airlines – Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates – still offer free baggage, as does Air India, according to Aiden Higgins, editor-in-chief of the website The Broke Backpacker.
These carriers may have certain restrictions, including on the size and weight of luggage.
Of course, just because they don't charge for luggage doesn't mean their rates are cheaper than others when it comes to assessing overall costs. They also may not fly routes that suit travelers' itineraries.
2. Combine bags
Travel partners can also consider combining suitcases.
A family of four may be able to condense four suitcases into two, potentially cutting checked baggage costs in half, experts say.
Unless baggage is included in a higher class ticket (premium economy, first, business class, etc.), passengers should expect to be charged a fee.
Erik Naples
vice president of legal strategy at AirHelp
Families with small children may be able to take advantage of the space in a car seat carrier, “since airlines do not charge for one car seat per child,” Nastro said. “You can often place a small, soft duffel bag in that space to store items,” she added.
Passengers should consider airline weight requirements for bags and whether bundling suitcases may incur additional costs.
3. Skip checking a bag
Traveling light — carrying only a personal item and/or carry-on, depending on what your airline and fare class allows for free — is “the only sure way” to avoid paying checked bag fees, Napoli said.
Obviously this will not be possible for everyone.
But passengers “can sneak into the cabin quite a bit” within the airline's confines, especially with a well-packed backpack — aided by packing cubes — paired with a baby carrier and/or a tote bag, Higgins said.
Passengers with softer duffel-type luggage that are more flexible can meet carry-on requirements more easily than passengers with hard suitcases, Nastro said.
4. Consider a rate upgrade
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Even the major airlines typically charge for carry-on bags at basic rates, experts say.
A more expensive ticket at a higher cost may include a baggage allowance, in which case passengers end up paying the same total price compared to a cheaper fare, while also getting some additional benefits such as the ability to choose a seat or reserve a ticket . flight changes, experts said.
“If you use an aggregator like Skyscanner, it can sometimes work out cheaper to go on the second or third most expensive flight if the airline is [also] offering luggage,” Higgins said.
Travelers should read the fine print to see what baggage is included in their ticket, which varies by airline and ticket class, Napoli said.
5. Add bags early
Whether you check a bag or bring one for a fee, reporting this early can save you money.
For example, a standard passenger flying on Spirit Airlines from New York to Los Angeles for the weekend (March 1-3) would pay $49 for carry-on luggage, according to the airline's price chart. A checked bag is cheaper: $44.
But these prices assume passengers add their bags during the initial online booking process. For example, those who wait to pay until they arrive at the gate will pay $99 for a checked bag or carry-on, the map shows.
For those who know they'll need to add a suitcase, “nine times out of 10 it's always cheaper to do it at the time of booking” rather than postpone until later, Nastro said.
Relatively high costs for “add-ons” such as bags mean a budget airline may not be the cheapest option when assessing overall cost and value, she said.
6. Buy a luggage scale, lightweight bags
By purchasing and using a luggage scale before traveling, travelers can avoid surprise charges at the airport due to exceeding the weight limit on checked bags.
“At least weigh your suitcase before you even book the flight,” Higgins said. “Once upon a time, airlines might have turned a blind eye to extra weight, but not anymore,” he said.
Travelers can also invest in ultralight luggage, Higgins said.
“You can easily save one or two [kilograms] by purchasing specially designed ultralight travel equipment,” he said. However, such bags can be pricey and may not be as durable as sturdier backpacks, he said.
7. Get a credit card or join a frequent flyer program
“Many credit cards, especially airline cards, offer free checked bags as a perk,” Napoli said.
Of course, travelers don't necessarily need to open a credit card account just for this perk, experts say. Some cards may also have an annual fee, though travelers may be able to get ahead of the curve if their annual benefits (for example, the savings on baggage fees) exceed that cost.
“It varies from credit card to credit card and from airline to airline,” Nastro said.
Joining an airline's frequent flyer program can also come with benefits for travelers, such as free or extra baggage, Higgins said.
Correction: Some data comes from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. An earlier version misstated the name of the agency.
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