Is it cheaper to buy excess baggage in advance?

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.



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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.

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It's generally cheaper to add baggage during booking because most carriers increase the price later. Depending on your service package, we might also charge a processing fee for additional services added later.

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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

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

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.

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During check-in You can indicate how many bags you're bringing and pay the applicable fees during the check-in process within 24 hours of your flight's departure. For your convenience, we recommend checking in online or at one of our airport kiosks.

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A key driver in domestic checked baggage fees is tax arbitrage. Airlines want to get a portion of the transportation cost out from under the base airfare so that it is not subject to the government's 7.5% excise tax on tickets. At some level it doesn't matter what pricing mechanism is used, as long as there is one.

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

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What to do when your suitcase is overweight at the airport
  1. Add it to your hand luggage. Make the most of that carry-on limit. ...
  2. Leave the queue and buy another bag to check in. Buy an extra bag that is cheap and cheerful. ...
  3. Cough up and pay the excess. That should do it for a weekend away.


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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.

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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).

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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.

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Many airlines will allow you to bring a carry-on bag and personal item for free. However, some airlines may only allow a personal item that fits under your seat for free. Anything larger (e.g. a bag that's too big to fit under the seat but can fit into the overhead compartment) may require extra payment.

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On US carriers it is 50 lb maximum if traveling in coach. If you are traveling in first class you are allowed up to 70 lbs for each checked bag and are allowed to check 2 bags.

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Shoes, coats and towels are usually the heaviest items.

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