Baggage Fees

Southwest Airlines spent more than 50 years telling flyers that bags fly free. That ended in May 2025. It is a good example of why airline baggage fees deserve their own page here.

Checked today, Southwest charges the same first and second bag fee as Delta. The numbers move, sometimes twice in one year. A figure you read six months ago can already be wrong.

This page was checked on September 4, 2026, against each airline’s own baggage page. Where a carrier would not load or would not confirm a current number, that carrier is left out of the table below. It is not guessed at.

What airline baggage fees actually cost right now

Three of the largest US carriers currently publish a flat domestic fee. It covers a first and second checked bag under 50 pounds. The table below reflects each airline’s own page, checked today.

Frontier prices checked bags by route and travel date. There is no single flat number to list, so a dollar figure here would mislead more than it helps. The airline’s own page is clear on one point: booking a bag ahead costs less than adding one at the airport.

United, Alaska, JetBlue, Spirit, and Allegiant all charge for checked bags too. Their own pages did not return a confirmed current figure in this check.

Run your exact route through the baggage cost tool instead of trusting a number that might be stale. You can also check the airline pages on this site for the carrier you are flying.

Paying online versus paying at the airport

Travelers often assume every airline charges more at the bag drop than at booking. That is not universal.

Delta’s own page states the fee is the same at booking, at online check-in, or at an airport kiosk. Southwest confirms the same on its site.

American is the opposite case. Its own page lists a full $5 gap on each bag, each way, between paying online and paying at the counter.

That gap gets worse on American’s basic economy fares. They add another $5 per bag on top, as of May 2026.

The safest habit is still to pay before you get to the airport. It costs you nothing extra even on carriers where no gap exists.

Overweight and oversize charges stack on top

An overweight or oversize charge is not a swap for the bag fee. It is an add-on that lands on top of whatever you already paid to check the bag.

Southwest’s own fee schedule charges $100 for a bag between 51 and 70 pounds. A bag between 71 and 100 pounds costs $200.

An oversize bag between 63 and 80 linear inches also costs $200. Only one $200 penalty applies if a bag is both overweight and oversize at once.

Frontier’s own page sets its overweight charge at $75 for 41 to 50 pounds. That rises toward $129 for bags approaching 100 pounds. Its oversize charge is a flat $75 for bags between 63 and 110 linear inches.

Neither airline accepts a bag heavier than 100 pounds. Frontier also draws a hard line at 110 linear inches, no matter what you are willing to pay.

Basic economy and the airlines that charge for the bag in your hand

Fare tier changes the math as much as the airline does. American’s own basic economy terms add a flat surcharge to both the first and second checked bag. That surcharge sits on top of its standard main cabin fare.

Ultra low-cost carriers such as Frontier and Spirit build fares around a different assumption. A seat and one small personal item are included in the base price. A wheeled carry-on bag that will not fit under the seat is priced as its own purchase, separate from the ticket.

That distinction is where a lot of budget bookings go over budget. A traveler comparing a $79 Frontier fare against a $220 Delta fare has homework to do first. Add a carry-on and a checked bag to the Frontier price before the comparison means anything.

How the fee legitimately disappears

Airline baggage fees are not fixed for everyone flying the same route. Delta’s own page lists specific carve outs.

Holders of certain Delta branded credit cards check a first bag free. So do travelers with Medallion elite status, and active duty military with orders or a military ID.

Other airlines run comparable programs tied to their own credit cards and status tiers. It is worth checking the fine print on the card you already carry before you pay at the counter.

International itineraries add another wrinkle. On many routes to Europe and beyond, a first checked bag is still included in the base economy fare. That holds even when the same airline charges for it on a domestic hop.

None of these exceptions are automatic. Airlines generally require the card, the status, or the military documentation to be attached to the reservation before check-in.

Why these numbers keep changing

Southwest’s fee did not exist at all before May 2025. It rose again within the same year. American has raised its bag fees more than once in recent years.

Airline baggage fees are treated by every major carrier as a lever to adjust quietly. Airlines usually give a short notice period rather than a public announcement.

The Department of Transportation requires airlines to disclose their baggage fees to consumers. Disclosure is not the same as a price freeze.

That is why this page states the date it was checked instead of a number with no timestamp attached. It is also why the policy change tracker exists separately from this hub.

The bottom line

Airline baggage fees are not a fixed cost of flying. They depend on the airline and the fare tier. They also depend on when you pay, how heavy the bag is, and whether a card or status waives it entirely.

Check the exact number on your airline’s own page before you fly. Even this page will need rechecking in a few months.

For a route specific total, including overweight risk, run it through the baggage cost calculator. Then confirm your bag fits the airline’s limits with the guidance on checked baggage rules before you get to the counter.