How to reduce — or avoid — airline fees for checked bags

Checking a bag on the airport has gotten pricier for vacationers — and more durable to keep away from.

A checked bag is one saved in a airplane’s cargo maintain throughout a flight. Whereas that service was free in years previous, it is now customary for main airways to cost for checked baggage, specialists mentioned.

Main U.S. airways began doing so in 2008, levying round $15 a bag, mentioned Katy Nastro, journey skilled at low-cost flight alert platform Going.

At this time, it is about double: $30 to $35 for one checked bag, Nastro mentioned. Meaning vacationers who test a bag on every leg of a round-trip itinerary can add an additional $60 to $70 to the entire value of their primary fare. And charges typically improve for every further checked bag.

Passengers paid about $6.8 billion in complete baggage charges in 2022, the final full yr for which information can be found, in accordance with the Bureau of Transportation. That is up 17% from roughly $5.8 billion in 2019, although fewer passengers flew on U.S. carriers in 2022, Bureau information present.

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“Until baggage is included in a higher-class (premium economic system, first, enterprise class, and many others.) ticket, passengers ought to count on to pay a payment,” Eric Napoli, vice chairman of authorized technique at AirHelp, which helps passengers file claims for airline compensation, defined in an e-mail.

Here is some recommendation from journey specialists on learn how to scale back these charges, and maybe keep away from them altogether.

There are a couple of airways that also do not cost for a checked bag.

Southwest, for instance, is the one outlier within the U.S., specialists mentioned. The service permits two free checked baggage.

The “Massive Three” Gulf Airways — Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates — nonetheless supply free baggage, as does Air India, in accordance with Aiden Higgins, senior editor of The Broke Backpacker web site.

These carriers might have sure restrictions, together with for baggage dimension and weight.

After all, simply because they might not cost for baggage doesn’t suggest their fares are cheaper than others when assessing total value. They usually might not fly routes that work for vacationers’ itineraries.

Journey companions can also contemplate combining suitcases.

A household of 4 could possibly condense 4 baggage into two, doubtlessly chopping checked-bag charges in half, specialists mentioned.

One caveat: Passengers want to contemplate airways’ weight necessities for baggage and whether or not consolidating suitcases might set off further charges.

Touring gentle — solely with a private merchandise and/or carry-on bag, relying on what your airline and fare class allow totally free — is “the one fool-proof manner” to keep away from paying a checked-bag payment, Napoli mentioned.

After all, this would possibly not be doable for everybody.

However passengers “can sneak fairly a bit into the cabin” inside airline limits, particularly with a well-packed backpack (aided by packing cubes) mixed with a sling bag and/or a tote bag, Higgins mentioned.

Passengers with softer, duffel-bag-type baggage that is extra pliable might have a neater time assembly carry-on dimension necessities versus these with a tough case, Nastro mentioned.

Even the key carriers typically cost for carry-ons on basic-economy fares, specialists mentioned.

A better-tier ticket for the next value may embody a baggage allowance — wherein case passengers might wind up paying the identical complete worth in comparison with a lower-cost fare whereas additionally getting some further advantages like the flexibility to decide on a seat or make flight adjustments, specialists mentioned.

“In case you are utilizing an aggregator like Skyscanner, it could possibly generally work out cheaper to go together with the 2nd or third costliest flight if the airline is [also] providing baggage,” Higgins mentioned.

Vacationers ought to learn the high quality print to discern what baggage is included of their ticket, which varies from airline to airline and ticket class, Napoli mentioned.

Whether or not you are checking a bag or carrying one on for a payment, declaring that early can prevent cash.

For instance, a normal passenger flying Spirit Airways from New York to Los Angeles this week would pay $39 for a carry-on, in accordance with the service’s worth chart. (A checked bag is cheaper: $34.)

However these costs assume passengers add their baggage in the course of the preliminary on-line reserving course of. Those that wait to pay till arriving on the gate, for instance, would pay $99 for a checked bag or carry-on, the chart signifies.

For individuals who know they’re going to want so as to add a bag, “9 instances out of 10 it is all the time cheaper to do it upon reserving” as an alternative of deferring till later, Nastro mentioned.

Comparatively excessive charges for “add ons” like baggage imply a price range service is probably not the most affordable choice when assessing complete value and worth, she mentioned.

Shopping for and utilizing a baggage scale earlier than touring can assist vacationers keep away from shock charges on the airport resulting from exceeding a weight restrict on checked baggage.

“A minimum of weigh your suitcase earlier than you even ebook the flight,” Higgins mentioned. “As soon as upon a time airways may need turned a blind eye” to further weight, however not any extra, he mentioned.

Vacationers can even put money into ultralight baggage, Higgins mentioned.

“You’ll be able to simply save 1 or 2 [kilograms] by shopping for specifically designed ultralight journey gear,” he mentioned. Nevertheless, such baggage may be expensive and is probably not as sturdy as sturdier packs, he mentioned.

“Many bank cards, particularly airline-branded playing cards, supply free checked baggage as a perk,” mentioned Napoli.

After all, vacationers should not essentially open a bank card account only for this perk, specialists mentioned. Some playing cards may additionally carry an annual payment, although vacationers may come out forward if their annual advantages (e.g., financial savings on bag charges) eclipse that expense.

“It varies bank card to bank card and airline to airline,” Nastro mentioned.

Becoming a member of an airline’s frequent flier program can also include perks for vacationers like free or further baggage, Higgins mentioned.