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As cited inForbes

What will checked bags cost?

Compare 80 airlines side by side. Estimate your total before you book.

Across 12 US airlines

First bag (domestic economy): $45 at every airline that publishes a flat fee. Second bags: $55–$59, median $55. Overweight (51–70 lb) adds $50–$150. See all →

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Bags
Trip type

Carry-on sizesAirport guides

Checked bag fees by airline, sortable and filterable
Airline
Alaska Airlines
AS · United States ·
$45$55$200$100$200—
Allegiant Air
G4 · United States ·
Not publishedNot publishedNot published$50Not published—
American Airlines
AA · United States ·
$45$55$200Not publishedNot published—
Breeze Airways
MX · United States ·
Not publishedNot publishedNot published$75$75—
Delta Air Lines
DL · United States ·
$45$55$200$100$200—
Frontier Airlines
F9 · United States ·
Not publishedNot publishedNot published$129$75—
Hawaiian Airlines
HA · United States ·
$45$55$200$100$200—
JetBlue
B6 · United States ·
$45$59$200$150$150—
Southwest Airlines
WN · United States ·
$45$55$150$100$200—
Spirit AirlinesCeased ops
NK · United States ·
$25-45*Not publishedNot published$125$150—
Sun Country Airlines
SY · United States ·
Not publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot published$100—
United Airlines
UA · United States ·
$45$55Not published$100$200—

Fees reflect each airline's standard economy checked bag fees for the trip type you select (domestic or international), as published on its own baggage page. Basic economy, elite status, co-branded credit cards, military, and promotional fares can waive or change these fees. Always confirm at booking. Last verified .

* Some airlines publish a price range for the first checked bag instead of one flat fee. The range shown is the figure the airline publishes, in the currency it prints, and it varies by route, timing, and fare. For one bag the range is your total; it is never added to a multi-bag total.

Baggage guides

Frequently asked questions

How much does a checked bag cost in 2026?

Across the 12 US airlines in this checker, the first checked bag on domestic economy fares is $45 where a flat fee is published, and a second checked bag runs $55 to $59 (median $55). US major carriers hiked fees again this year, so most now charge $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second.

How is the checked bag fee calculator different from booking on the airline site?

The airline site only quotes fees for the itinerary you are shopping. This calculator compares every airline in our database side by side for the same trip (bag count, domestic or international, weight, size), so you can see which carrier is cheapest before you even pick a flight. Every figure is cited to the airline's own baggage policy page.

What is the overweight bag fee on US airlines?

Across the 12 US airlines in this checker, where a flat surcharge is published, the 51 to 70 lb surcharge runs $50 to $150 (median $100) and the 71 to 100 lb one runs $75 to $200 (median $200), on top of the bag fee. Some airlines use narrower tiers or a lower weight limit (see their checked bag notes). Our guidance: the calculator flags a bag over 100 lb instead of pricing it, since several airlines refuse one.

Do airlines charge more for international checked bags?

It depends on the airline. Of the 80 airlines in this checker, 25 publish a flat first checked bag fee for international trips: 12 include that bag free and 13 charge $45 to $100. The rest price international bags by route or fare, or do not publish a flat fee, so check that airline's checked bag notes. Switch the trip type to "International" and the calculator adds each airline's published international fee for every bag you check, up to three.

How can I avoid checked bag fees?

Our guidance: the one way that avoids the fee on every airline is to fit everything into a carry-on and personal item, using our size checkers to confirm your bag qualifies. Waivers for loyalty tiers, airline cards or premium cabins differ by airline and fare, so we do not generalize them. Where an airline's own baggage page lists one, it is in that airline's checked bag notes, linked from each row of the table above.

Sources

The fees in this table were verified against the following pages. See our research methodology for how we vet and update data.

101 sources

If a figure looks wrong, email hello@vient.org, see how we handle corrections, or browse past fixes in our public changelog.