{"id":10204,"date":"2024-11-12T18:10:30","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T18:10:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelaffiliatewebsite.com\/mer\/how-to-avoid-checked-baggage-fees-on-major-domestic-airlines\/"},"modified":"2024-11-12T18:10:30","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T18:10:30","slug":"how-to-avoid-checked-baggage-fees-on-major-domestic-airlines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelaffiliatewebsite.com\/mer\/how-to-avoid-checked-baggage-fees-on-major-domestic-airlines\/","title":{"rendered":"How to avoid checked baggage fees on major domestic airlines"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Incidental airline fees are a big business for the major airlines in the U.S., and checked bag fees<\/a>, in particular, are a key driver of airline profitability nowadays. These added services brought in over $6.7 billion <\/em>in 2022 alone \u2014 and they’ve continued to increase. The last few years have seen airlines like Alaska, American, JetBlue and United hike their fees for checked bags<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s safe to say that no one wants to pony up an additional $70 (or more) to check a bag on a round-trip, domestic flight \u2014 especially when holiday travel<\/a> costs are already quite high.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are a handful of simple ways to avoid paying these fees. We’ll go through how to avoid checked baggage fees on the major carriers in the U.S.<\/p>\n

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Most common airline bag fees<\/h2>\n

There are several common bag fees imposed by most of the major airlines in the U.S. The first is for any checked bag, typically starting at $35 each way but quickly increasing as you add a second or third suitcase. You might also fall victim to an additional fee for checking an overweight bag, which generally kicks in once you surpass 50 pounds. Finally, suitcases over a certain size (often measured in linear inches \u2014 length plus width plus height) will almost always require an additional fee, as will certain kinds of specialty luggage, like scuba equipment.<\/p>\n

For more details, here are links to our individual guides on U.S. airlines’ bag fee policies:<\/p>\n

However, it’s worth noting that published policies may have some wiggle room. I’ve sometimes had an airline accept my 52-pound bag without tacking on an overweight fee. Plus, if you have airline status<\/a>, you may still be able to convince a sympathetic check-in agent to waive the bag fee.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are some tried-and-true ways to get around these added costs ahead of your next trip.<\/p>\n

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Best ways to avoid checked bag fees<\/h2>\n

Generally speaking, there are five main ways to avoid paying checked baggage fees on your next flight:<\/p>\n

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