WHAT A CHECKED BAG ACTUALLY COSTS
Checked bag fees, and why the same bag has a different price
The fee for one checked bag is not a single number. It moves with the airline, the fare you booked, the route and the moment you pay. Here is what changes it, what each airline publishes, and the two habits that keep the price down.
The four things that change the price
- The airline. Airlines price bags separately from tickets, and their published first-bag fees differ by tens of dollars on the same route.
- The fare you booked. A fare that is cheap up front usually charges more for a bag. A basic or saver fare on a major carrier commonly pays a surcharge on every checked bag compared with the main cabin fare.
- Where you pay. Airlines publish two prices: one when you add the bag online before the flight, one at the airport. The airport price is higher, and the gap is worth checking before you decide to sort it out at the counter.
- The route and the itinerary. A domestic flight, a flight to a neighbouring country and a long-haul international flight can sit in three different fee tables on the same airline.
Because of this, a "checked bag fee" quoted as one figure for an airline is always an average of somebody else's trip. The table below keeps the fare context attached to the number.
Published checked bag fees
Read from each airline's own fee page, with the date it was checked. Where an airline does not publish a figure for a route or a channel, that is stated rather than filled in with an average.
| Airline | Fare context | First bag | Second bag | Weight per bag | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US / Canada / Mexico / Caribbean / Central America, Main Cabin | USD 45 online USD 50 at the airport |
USD 55 online USD 60 at the airport |
not verified yet | source 2026-10-07 |
|
| US / Canada / Mexico / Caribbean / Central America, Basic Economy | USD 50 online USD 55 at the airport |
USD 60 online USD 65 at the airport |
not verified yet | source 2026-10-07 |
|
| Southwest Airlines | Not verified yet. This airline's fee amounts are not published on a page we could read, so no figure is shown rather than an estimate. | ||||
| easyJet | Hold luggage not booked in advance, paid at the bag drop desk (up to 23 kg) | GBP 60 at the airport no single online price published |
— | 23 kg | source 2026-10-07 |
Worked example: one bag, two prices
On a major US carrier, the first checked bag on a domestic main cabin fare is USD 45 when it is paid online and USD 50 at the airport. On the cheapest fare family on the same airline, the same bag is USD 50 online and USD 55 at the counter. Two people on the same flight, with the same bag, can therefore be 10 dollars apart before anyone has boarded.
Fees are also charged per person and per direction, not per trip. A couple checking one bag each on a return flight pays for four bags in total, and a round trip doubles whatever the one-way figure is.
Weight is the second charge waiting for you
A published bag fee usually buys a bag up to a weight limit, commonly 50 lb or 23 kg. Above that limit the airline charges an overweight fee on top, and the band is steep. The weight allowance is not always printed next to the price, so it is worth finding before you pack to the limit and hope.
Two habits that keep the price down
- Decide before you fly, and pay online. Every carrier here charges less for a bag bought in advance than for the same bag handed over at a desk or a gate.
- Weigh and measure at home. The fee for a bag that is too big or too heavy is charged at the airport, at the airport price, at the worst possible moment. A tape measure and a bathroom scale remove that charge entirely, and the size checker tells you which limit your bag has to clear for the airline you booked.
What this page does not claim
- It is not a quote. Fares and fees change, and the price you are offered at booking is the one that governs.
- It does not cover every airline, route, fare family or loyalty tier. Where our data stops, the tables say so.
- It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any airline. Airline names are used only to identify whose published rules are being described.
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