Checked Bag Fee Calculator
Pick your airline, route and bags and we’ll price the checked-bag bill — per direction and round trip — including overweight surcharges and the fare types and cards that waive it.
How this tool works
We price your bags against a per-airline fee table we researched and maintain, then apply the four things that actually change the number: route type, how many bags, your fare, and weight.
- Route matters more than distance. Most US carriers charge the same on domestic flights and on short international routes (Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America), but include the first checked bag free in economy on long-haul transatlantic and transpacific flights. We keep three separate fee schedules per airline for exactly this reason.
- Bags are priced in tiers. The second bag costs more than the first, and the third jumps sharply. We charge each bag at its own tier rather than multiplying the first-bag price.
- Fare and status waive bags. Premium cabins typically include two, elite status usually includes at least one, and most co-branded airline credit cards waive the first checked bag for the cardholder (and often companions). We apply the free-bag allowance stored per airline and tell you which one did the work.
- Overweight is a surcharge, not a replacement. A bag over 50 lb pays the standard bag fee plus the overweight fee — often $100 on the legacy carriers. Frontier is the exception worth knowing: its free allowance is 40 lb, so a normal 45 lb bag is already overweight there.
- Per direction vs round trip. Bag fees are charged each way. We show the per-direction cost and then double it, so the headline number is what a round trip actually costs. Allegiant is the outlier — it bills per flight segment, so a connecting itinerary costs more again.
Where we refuse to guess. The ultra-low-cost carriers (Frontier, Allegiant, Sun Country, Breeze) price checked bags dynamically by route, date and how far ahead you pay — there is no single published first-bag fee. Rather than invent one, we store the observed range and show it as a range. The same goes for fees the airline routes through a per-itinerary calculator instead of publishing.
Verify at booking. US carriers raised checked bag fees twice in 2026. Every figure here carries a source and an update date in the table below, but fees change, vary by route and status, and the airline’s own booking flow is the only authority.
Checked baggage fees by US airline (12 carriers)
| Airline | 1st bag (domestic) | 2nd bag (domestic) | 1st bag (long-haul intl) | Overweight 51–70 lb | Co-branded card waives 1st? | Carry-on included? | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | $50 | $60 | Included | $100 | Yes | Yes — free | High |
| Delta | $45 | $55 | Included | $100 | Yes | Yes — free | High |
| United | $45 | $55 | Included | $100 | Yes | No — paid carry-on | High |
| Southwest | $45 | $55 | No long-haul routes | $100 | Yes | Yes — free | High |
| Alaska Airlines | $45 | $55 | Included | $100 | Yes | Yes — free | High |
| JetBlue | $45 | $59 | $75 | $150 | Yes | Yes — free | High |
| Hawaiian Airlines | $45 | $55 | Included | $100 | Yes | Yes — free | Medium |
| Frontier | $29–$79 (dynamic) | $59–$89 (dynamic) | No long-haul routes | $129 | No | No — paid carry-on | Low — dynamic pricing |
| Allegiant Air | $20–$75 (dynamic) | Varies by route | No long-haul routes | $50 | No | No — paid carry-on | Low — dynamic pricing |
| Sun Country | $30–$45 (dynamic) | $45 | No long-haul routes | Varies by route | No | No — paid carry-on | Low — dynamic pricing |
| Breeze Airways | $35–$41 (dynamic) | $45 | No long-haul routes | $20 | No | No — paid carry-on | Low — dynamic pricing |
| Spirit Airlines | No longer operating (ceased May 2, 2026) | No longer operating | No longer operating | No longer operating | No longer operating | No longer operating | Confirmed shutdown |
FAQ
How much are checked bag fees?
On the big US carriers in 2026 the first checked bag runs $45–$50 each way on domestic flights and the second $55–$60. Fees went up twice in 2026. Long-haul international economy usually still includes the first bag free, with about $100 for the second. Ultra-low-cost carriers price bags dynamically — roughly $20–$79 depending on route, date and how early you pay.
Which airlines have free checked bags?
No major US airline gives everyone a free checked bag on domestic routes any more — Southwest ended its famous free-bags policy for tickets booked on or after May 28, 2025. You still get bags free three ways: fly a premium cabin (usually two bags), hold elite status (usually one or more), or carry the airline’s co-branded credit card (usually the first bag, often for companions too). Long-haul international economy also typically includes the first bag.
How much is an overweight bag?
Most legacy US carriers charge $100 for a bag between 51 and 70 lb, on top of the normal checked bag fee, then $200 above 70 lb. JetBlue charges $150. Allegiant ($50) and Breeze ($20) are notably cheaper. Frontier is the one to watch: its included weight limit is only 40 lb, so a standard 45 lb bag already triggers a fee there.
Does my credit card waive bag fees?
Usually yes, for the first checked bag, on the airline’s own co-branded card — and often for companions on the same reservation (Delta covers up to 8, Southwest up to 8, American up to 4, Alaska up to 6, JetBlue up to 3, United one companion). The exceptions matter: United’s Gateway card and Frontier’s and Allegiant’s cards do not include a free bag, and Sun Country’s gives 50% off rather than free.
Is it cheaper to fly carry-on only?
On the legacy carriers, almost always — a carry-on and a personal item are free, so skipping the checked bag saves $90–$120 round trip. On the ultra-low-cost carriers it depends: Frontier, Allegiant, Sun Country and Breeze all charge for an overhead carry-on too, and on Frontier a checked bag is sometimes cheaper than a carry-on. Check your carry-on actually fits the sizer before you count on it.
Do bag fees apply each way?
Yes. Checked bag fees are charged per direction, so a round trip costs double the number you see at booking for one leg. Allegiant is worse — it charges per flight segment, so a one-stop connection each way means four charges, not two.
What happened to Spirit Airlines’ bag fees?
Spirit ceased all operations on May 2, 2026 and no longer sells tickets, so it has no current baggage fees. We keep it in the table below marked as no longer operating rather than quoting stale prices.