How can I avoid high baggage fees?

How to avoid paying checked baggage fees
  1. Know the fees. ...
  2. Use the right credit card. ...
  3. Book first or business class. ...
  4. Get elite status or fly with someone who has it. ...
  5. Use a military discount. ...
  6. Check your bag at the gate. ...
  7. Pack light.




People Also Ask

Winner: Southwest Airlines Southwest charges absolutely no bag fees. American, Alaska, Delta and Hawaiian charge $30 for a checked bag, while JetBlue and United charge $35 for the same. Low-cost airlines Spirit and Frontier separate from the pack here, as they charge customers for all overhead carry-on items.

MORE DETAILS

Make the check-in process easier by prepaying for bags before your flight. For some routes, you'll also save money on fees. You must prepay for bags at least 24 hours before your flight to save.

MORE DETAILS

Southwest Checked Baggage Allowance Southwest is the only airline that provides 2 FREE CHECKED BAGS for all fares.

MORE DETAILS

Best ways to avoid checked bag fees
  1. Hold elite status (or travel with a friend/family member with elite status)
  2. Carry the right airline credit card (or travel with a friend/family member with the right card)
  3. Use a travel credit card that covers ancillary costs like baggage fees.


MORE DETAILS

Luggage fees The sure-fire way to avoid this fee is to travel with a carry-on bag only. However, if you simply cannot do without your checked luggage, try to pay for the bag online, as it is typically much cheaper to purchase your bag on the airline's website rather than pay up front at the check-in counter.

MORE DETAILS

One important thing to remember when flying is that airline baggage fees are charged both ways. So, if your outbound flight charges you $30 for your first standard checked bag, expect to pay another $30 for that same bag on your return flight back home (that's $60 bucks, roundtrip).

MORE DETAILS

It's nearly always cheaper to book extra hold luggage in advance rather than paying excess baggage fees at the airport. Airlines know that keeping within weight/size limits is not always possible, so they encourage you to plan ahead by selling extra weight online.

MORE DETAILS

If your cabin baggage exceeds the authorized weight and dimensions, we shall be required to: - ask you to pay an additional charge, payable by credit card only, at the cost of the additional baggage. - ask you to leave your baggage at the baggage disputes service in the event of payment refusal.

MORE DETAILS

What if my checked bag is 52 lbs? The standard overweight fee for normal bags (your first two) is $100 if the bag is between 50.1 LBS and 70 LBS, and $200 if the bag is between 70.1 LBS and 100 LBS. Bags over 100 LBS are not allowed.

MORE DETAILS

Carry-on luggage, for example, has the benefit of being much cheaper. You often don't have to pay any extra fees for carry-on bags. This means that you can save money by using only carry-on baggage.

MORE DETAILS

With checked baggage, you have the space to do so. Ease of Movement: Once you check-in, you can move freely without toting around a big bag. Sure, you'll probably want a small carry-on for your essentials and electronics, but a small bag is much easier than hauling a large carry-on through the airport.

MORE DETAILS

Yes, you can. But, be prepared to turn around and go somewhere else. Bags are checked for a reason. By allowing people to refuse a bag check, yet still enter, can potentially put others at risk.

MORE DETAILS

United Quest? Card (annual fee: $250): Two free checked bags for the primary cardholder and a companion traveling on the same reservation. United Club? Infinite Card (annual fee: $525): Two free checked bags for the primary cardholder and a companion traveling on the same reservation.

MORE DETAILS

Low-Cost Airlines in the US: The Cheapest and Best Airlines to Fly Domestic
  1. Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines is one of the largest budget carriers in the world. ...
  2. JetBlue. ...
  3. Spirit. ...
  4. Breeze Airways. ...
  5. Hawaiian Airlines. ...
  6. Avelo Airlines. ...
  7. Delta Air Lines. ...
  8. Alaska Airlines.


MORE DETAILS