Avoid Checked Baggage Fees on Major Domestic Airlines

Airline baggage fees have become an annoying and expensive added cost for travelers and a major source of revenue for airlines over the past decade or so. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that airlines made more than $6.7 billion last year in these added fees. Flyers have faced higher costs as major airlines such as United and JetBlue have upped their extra baggage fees for checked luggage.

If you are looking to avoid baggage fees on airlines and keep your overall travel costs down, then there are some steps you can take. Read our tips below to discover how to avoid checked baggage fees with US carriers on your next trip.

What Are the Most Common Baggage Fees on Airlines?

Before we dive into how you can save money on extra baggage fees tacked onto your ticket, first let’s take a look at the common costs you may be facing. Any checked bag you take on your flight will usually add a cost of approximately $35 to your trip each way. If you need to bring multiple bags along with you this cost can speedily increase.

If you need to bring a lot of essential items with you, you may also find yourself facing airline baggage fees for overweight items. These are normally activated when your bag or case exceeds 50 pounds. If you are bringing an outsize case to contain large equipment, you will also face additional fees for baggage exceeding measurement requirements.

How to Avoid Airline Baggage Fees on Checked Luggage

Your first step in avoiding extra baggage fees is to make sure that you are familiar with the requirements and fees for the air carrier you have booked with. This can help you to avoid extra costs by making sure you don’t exceed the restrictions for carry-on bags and checked suitcases. Here are the links to the baggage fees for major US airlines:

American Airlines Baggage Fees

Delta Airlines Baggage Requirements

JetBlue Baggage Fees

Southwest Baggage Fees

United Airlines Baggage Fees

Alaska Airlines Baggage Fees

Hawaiian Airlines Baggage Costs

Frontier Baggage Fees

Spirit Airlines Baggage Fees

There are some effective ways to start avoiding baggage fees on airlines which include:

• Having an airline partner credit card.
• Hold elite status with the airline loyalty scheme.
• Buy a premium flight ticket.
• Own a travel credit card that covers your baggage fees as a benefit.
• Only bring a carry-on with you if you are going on a shorter trip. (These are free on a lot of airlines, but you should always check before opting for this technique.)

You can also choose to make your booking with Southwest Airlines. This carrier will allow you to bring two checked bags with you for free as long as they don’t exceed the 50-pound weight limit.

Below, you will find a breakdown of each technique and how it may help you avoid extra baggage fees on your next trip.

Use an Airline Partner Credit Card

If you own a co-branded airline card from a major US carrier, you may find that one of the perks of card ownership is waiving airline baggage fees on your first piece of luggage. And some cards even extend these to a free checked bag for your traveling companions as well!

Here are some of the airline partner credit cards that will allow you access to this cost-saving benefit.

You need to have booked your flight with your airline partner's credit card to unlock this benefit when you travel.

American Airlines Flights

One complimentary checked bag for you and up to 8 companions on an American Airlines flight.

· Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard,

· Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

· Citi Business AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard

Alaska Airlines

One Free Checked Bag on Alaska Airlines for you and up to 6 companion travelers on the same flight.

· Alaska Airlines Visa Card

· Alaska Airlines Visa Business Card

Delta Sky Miles

Free first checked bag for you and up to 8 travel companions on a Delta Flight Reservation.

· Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card

· Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express

· Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card

· Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Amex Card

· Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Credit Card

· Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Amex Card

United Airlines

Between one and two free check bags depending on the card, and a free bag for one companion on the same flight reservation.

· United Explorer Card (one free checked bag.)

· United Business Credit Card (one complimentary check bag.)

· United Quest Credit Card (two checked bags free.)

· United Club Infinite card (two complimentary checked bags.)

JetBlue Airline

One complimentary checked bag for you and up to three travel companions on a JetBlue reservation.

· JetBlue Plus Card

· JetBlue Business Card

You may also be able to access the same perks if you join the airline loyalty scheme, independently of owning a co-branded card. However, some airlines will only extend these offers to those who own an airline-branded credit card.

Hold elite status with the airline loyalty scheme.

If you manage to build up elite status within an airline loyalty scheme, then you may be able to avoid baggage fees on airlines for your first bag even on the lower tiers of the membership scheme. The better perks will come with elite status which varies according to each airline.

However, the majority of casual or leisure travelers will find it difficult to build up to elite status based purely on their travel spending. Applying for a co-branded credit card, or a travel credit card can help you to automatically access higher elite status levels with the associated perks.

Own a travel credit card that covers your baggage fees as a benefit.

Unless you regularly book with only one airline, it may not make financial sense to limit yourself to an airline-branded credit card. Thankfully, there are some fantastic travel credit cards available that allow you to avoid baggage fees on airlines and credit on related purchases (such as luggage fees.) These cards include:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• The Platinum Card from American Express
• Hilton Honors Aspire Card
• Bank of American Premium Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

These cards will usually have an annual fee, you will need to assess which card offers you the most savings in travel and airline baggage fees to offset this annual spending.

Buy a premium flight ticket

If you book a premium ticket for any class, then a common benefit is waived baggage fees. These perks will often apply whether you have used your points or cash to pay for your ticket, so this can be a smart way to access a discount using points you have built up with your previous travel spending.

Takeaway - How to Avoid Checked Baggage Fees on Major Domestic Airlines

Baggage fees on airlines can add substantial expense to your airline ticket and should be avoided wherever possible. If you can limit your packing within carry-on requirements, you can avoid these fees. But if you are traveling for a while, then the other tips we have highlighted above can help you avoid expensive extra baggage fees.