Airlines Up The Fees For Checked Bags For Both USA & International Travel
A special note for a California surfing beach bum who wants to take their surfboard to Paris or another European destination.
Fly on Delta or Northwest
and they will charge you $300 each way or $600 roundtrip. Our suggestion is to
keep the board at home and take your favorite beach towel blanket instead.
To see what major airlines are charging for domestic checked baggage fees please click here. To see what the major airlines are charging for other fees including making reservations by phone, priority seating and meals/drinks, please click here.
If you are an elite member of a frequent flyer program on one of the major airlines, you may still be able to check two bags for free on that carrier. Some airlines also allow passengers who are listed under the same reservation as an elite member to check up to two bags for free. Be sure to check the contract of carriage for your airline for their policies. It's always best to contact your airline or check the contract of carriage on their website for any last-minute changes.
We are finding that the biggest fees come from the 3rd or more checked bag that is overweight and oversize. Some airlines will charge you all three fees if your baggage does not meet their requirements. We recommend that you check with your carrier prior to travel to calculate the fees and to measure, and weight your luggage so there are no surprises upon checking in.
*Please note that some international airlines are changing their policies to either charge by each piece or total weight of all your luggage together depending on what country your flying to. This is our most current up to date information we have received from the airlines.
As always please check the airlines website for the most accurate information as some destinations have baggage embargoes, that are not part of their general baggage policies.
| Airline | 2nd Checked Bag | 3rd Checked Bag | 4th-5th Checked Bag | 6th-10th Checked Bag | Overweight Bag Fee (50-70 lbs) | Overweight Bag Fee (71-99 lbs) | Oversized Bag Fee (62-80") |
| American Airlines | $50 | varies | varies | varies | varies | not allowed | varies |
| Continental | $45 online. $50 airport | $100 | $100 | $100 | $50 | not allowed | $100 |
| Delta | $50 | $200 | $350 | $600 | $150 | $300 | $175 |
| Northwest | $50 | $200 | $350 | $600 | $150 | - | $175 |
| United | $45 online/ $50 airport | $200 | $200-$250 | $250 | $150 | $350 | $200 |
| US Airways | $50 online/ $55 airport | $100 | $100 | $100 | $50 | $100 | $100 |
| Virgin Atlantic | $48 online/ $60 airport | $48-$140 | $48-$140 | $48-$140 | varies | varies | varies |
| Quantas | $0 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $50 | not allowed | varies |
| Swiss | $0 | $200 | $200 | $200 | varies | varies | varies |
| Iberia | $0 | $105 online/ $150 airport | $105 online/ $150 airport | $105 online/ $150 airport | varies | varies | varies |
| British Airways | $48 online/ $60 airport | $112 online / $140 airport | $112online / $140 airport | $112 online / $140 airport | $50 | not allowed | $45 |
| Aer Lingus | $0 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 | n/a | n/a |
| Mexicana | $40 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $200 varies | $225 varies | $225 varies |
| TACA | $0 | $175 | $175-$200 | $200 | $175 | $225 | $225 |
| JAL Airlines | $0 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 |
| Air France | $40 online/ $50 airport | $200 | $200 | $200 | $200 | $200 | not allowed |
| KLM | $50 | varies in USD and Euros $132-$200 | varies in USD and Euros $132-$200 | varies in USD and Euros $132-$200 | $100 Euro | not allowed | $300 euro |
