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Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Airline baggage fees can vary greatly, and there’s nothing worse than being hit by surprise fees after booking.

At TPG, we aim to please — and by that, we mean actually help readers spend smarter to travel better. In this guide, we’ve summarized baggage fees by airline.

How much does it cost to check a bag?

The chart below compares the cost of your first, second and third checked bag on major domestic airlines in the United States.

Note that this table assumes you’re purchasing a regular domestic fare type and checking standard luggage that’s not overweight or oversize. It also assumes you have no elite status and do not carry a cobranded airline credit card with a checked-bag benefit. The price for flights outside of the U.S. might vary slightly.

As you can see, these fees are all over the place and range from $0 to $100 for your first checked bag. With some airlines, you cannot check luggage with a basic fare type, while other airlines offer bundled fares that include checked baggage. Pay close attention to which fare you purchase to minimize luggage fees.

You’ll also notice that some airlines’ prices for checked bags depend on the flight booked. With Frontier and Spirit, you can use a fare calculator to see the exact price for your specific flight; paying for your luggage during the reservation process will be the least expensive option with those two airlines. For Hawaiian Airlines, you’ll pay a lower price for flights between the islands and a higher price for flights to, from and within North America.

Lastly, while most airlines allow you to check a bag up to 50 pounds, Spirit and Frontier cap the weight of a standard checked bag at 40 pounds. After that, you’ll pay a pretty penny for overweight bags.

How much does it cost to bring a carry-on bag?

Some airlines also charge for carry-on baggage. This is usually limited to low-cost carriers, but you’ll want to pay attention to your allowances before your next flight. For some airlines, you’ll find that checking a bag is less expensive than bringing it on the plane with you.

Here’s a chart indicating carry-on bag allowances for domestic flights with most major U.S. airlines.

You’ll notice that most airlines don’t charge a fee to bring a carry-on bag, but you are limited to one personal item and one carry-on item.

A personal item is a backpack, laptop bag, camera bag or another small item you can stow underneath the seat in front of you, while a carry-on is typically a larger bag or small suitcase that fits in the overhead bin above your seat. Each airline has different dimension limits, so you’ll want to check your luggage size and your airline’s policy before heading to the airport.

As with checked bags, the fee for bringing a carry-on bag for Frontier and Spirit varies. Both airlines offer a baggage calculator to check the price when booking your flight.

When it comes to basic economy fares, United is the only one of the Big Three major U.S. airlines that doesn’t allow a free carry-on bag. United also charges an additional $25 gate handling fee (on top of the regular baggage fee) if an economy passenger brings a full-size bag to the gate which must then be checked.

Best airlines for baggage fees

As you can see, Southwest is by far the best airline for baggage fees as it’s the only airline that allows both two carry-on items (one personal item and one larger carry-on bag) and two checked bags for free.

If you need to check a third bag, the fee is $150.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Spirit and Frontier are the two worst airlines for baggage fees. Although fares might be lower, you’ll want to calculate your baggage fees to determine whether your overall travel cost is lower.

Tips for avoiding checked bag fees

Because baggage fees can add up quickly, try to avoid them whenever possible.

The easiest way to do this is to use the corresponding airline’s cobranded credit card. For all of the above carriers, except Frontier, there’s at least one credit card that’ll waive the fee for your first checked bag. Most also extend the favor to additional companions traveling on the same reservation (excluding Hawaiian).

However, perks vary by card and airline; some are more restrictive than others. For example, to utilize the first bag for free benefit on the United℠ Explorer Card, you must purchase your ticket using the card.

With most other airline cards, merely having cardholder status is sufficient, regardless of the card you swiped at the time of purchase. Similarly, with the United Explorer Card, only one additional passenger can reap the benefits; meanwhile, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card allows up to eight traveling companions to check their bags for no additional cost.

Another option to avoid checked bag fees is to hold elite status with the airline’s frequent flyer program. All airlines mentioned here offer at least one free checked bag to certain elite members (except Southwest, which offers two free checked bags to everyone).

For example, American allows one standard, 50-pound bag for Gold, two for Platinum and three for Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum.

Here are a few more tricks to avoid checked baggage fees, including overweight or oversize fees:

Gate check

Most airlines allow you to gate-check carry-on luggage for no additional cost — and they’ll often force travelers to do so when overhead bin space is tight.

The exceptions are typically low-cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier, and legacy carriers when traveling on basic economy fares. Otherwise, most airlines are happy to gate-check just about whatever you’d like — and you may even have luck doing this before boarding starts.

If you gate-check your luggage, ensure the airline checks it through to baggage claim. However, you must claim some items, such as strollers, wheelchairs and even rolling carry-ons on regional planes, at the gate upon arrival.

Read the rules closely

As punitive as airline baggage policies can be, some helpful exceptions exist. For example, most U.S. carriers let you check skis, snowboards and boots as a single checked bag — even if your skis are in a different bag from your boots. The same often holds for hockey equipment, which typically doesn’t require an additional fee as long as it’s within the standard weight allotment.

Before you go to the airport, take a screenshot of the rules in case you encounter an agent who is unfamiliar with uncommon checked items.

Try curbside check-in

Check-in agents at the curb are often contractors, not airline employees. So, they may have less incentive to strictly enforce the airline’s baggage rules. Additionally, some locations may not have scales to weigh the bags.

Carry the heavy stuff on board

In the U.S., carry-on weight restrictions are rarely (if ever) enforced. So, when packing for your next vacation, put heavy items in your carry-on bag rather than risk having to pay for overweight checked bags.

Buy a baggage scale

For under $10, you can find a small, lightweight hanging scale for weighing luggage. These scales are typically quite accurate and will help you stay under your desired weight. You’ll also avoid being that person repacking their bags at the airport and holding up everyone else.

Bottom line

Bag fees are an unfortunate reality of air travel in 2025. In certain situations, you could wind up spending hundreds of dollars beyond the original price you paid for your ticket. So, carefully consider baggage policies before jumping on that “great deal.”

If there’s a cobranded credit card or an easy way to earn elite status (one that offers waived baggage fees) for the particular airline you’re flying, it might be worth looking into those options. You might find that the annual fee on the credit card is far less than the checked bag fees for your family over the course of the year.

For airline-specific baggage guides, check out:

• Alaska Airlines baggage fees
• American Airlines baggage fees
• Delta Air Lines baggage fees
• Frontier Airlines baggage fees
• Hawaiian Airlines baggage fees
• JetBlue Airways baggage fees
• Southwest Airlines baggage fees
• Spirit Airlines baggage fees
• United Airlines baggage fees

Related reading:

• The best travel credit cards
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• These 26 credit cards can get you free checked bags
• How to tell if your backpack counts as a personal or carry-on item
• Which credit cards cover baggage delays?
• How to avoid checked baggage fees on major domestic airlines
• Get bonus miles when your checked bags arrive late