Ticket date guide
US airline bag fee changes in 2026
How your ticket date sets 2026 US bag fees: Southwest after Bags Fly Free, United Basic Economy, and the published fees at American, Delta, Alaska and Hawaiian.
Quick answer
Several US carriers raised or restructured bag fees in 2025 and 2026. Ticket purchase and sometimes change date often decides which table you pay. Southwest no longer gives two free checked bags on most fares. United Basic Economy gate checks cost more on new tickets. American, Delta, Alaska and Hawaiian publish $45 and $55 domestic first and second bag fees for new tickets. Frontier and Allegiant still use dynamic pricing, so use their calculators.
Last verified:
Official sources:
How we check: We only publish what these official pages say. See How we verify fees.
Check the airline’s fee table for your ticket date, or its calculator, before you fly.
Southwest: Bags Fly Free ended, and fees rose from April 9, 2026
- Checked bag fees began on most fares for bookings on or after May 28, 2025.
- U.S. mainland trips booked, ticketed or changed on or after April 9, 2026: Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred pay $45 for the 1st bag and $55 for the 2nd; Choice Extra still gets 2 free; 3rd bag and later $150.
- Mainland bookings made before April 9, 2026 often still pay $35 for the 1st bag and $45 for the 2nd until you choose to change them.
- A carry-on and a personal item stay free on all fares (carry-on size 24 × 16 × 10).
- Interisland Hawaii, non-residents, bookings on or after April 9, 2026: 1st bag $30, 2nd $40, 3rd $50 (Hawaii residents with a Rapid Rewards number still get 2 free; details on Southwest’s fees page).
- Source: Southwest’s travel fees page on southwest.com. Full details: Southwest baggage fees.
United Basic Economy: fees by ticket date from April 3, 2026
- Most domestic Basic Economy: personal item only (9 × 10 × 17).
- Tickets bought on or after April 3, 2026: if a full-size carry-on or a personal item that doesn’t fit must be checked, it costs $45 prepaid, $50 at the airport counter or $75 at the gate (United also describes the gate charge as a $25 handling fee plus the checked bag fee). Tickets bought before April 3, 2026 may still show $35 prepaid, $40 at the counter and $65 at the gate, but $65 is no longer the current fee.
- Domestic Economy checked bag example: 1st bag $45 prepaid or $50 standard; 2nd bag $55 or $60; 3rd bag and later $200.
- Fee increases for Asia, Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines on tickets bought on or after July 21, 2026.
- By contrast, Delta and American Basic Economy still include a free carry-on.
- Our pages: United baggage fees, United personal item.
American: fee tables for tickets bought from April 9 and May 18, 2026
- Main Cabin on core domestic and short-haul routes, tickets bought on or after April 9, 2026: 1st bag $45 online or $50 at the airport; 2nd bag $55 online or $60 at the airport; 3rd bag and later $200.
- Basic Economy checked bags often cost $5 more than Main Cabin for tickets issued on or after May 18, 2026.
- Cabin bags: free carry-on (22×14×9) and personal item (18×14×8), including Basic Economy.
- Sources: American’s baggage pages on aa.com and its newsroom post on bag fees and Basic Economy. Our page: American baggage fees.
Delta: published domestic fees
- Main and Comfort domestic: 1st bag $45, 2nd bag $55, 3rd bag and later $200 (one published price; no separate prepaid price listed).
- Free carry-on and personal item on Basic. Personal item size not published.
- Sources: delta.com baggage pages. Our page: Delta baggage fees.
Alaska and Hawaiian: tickets bought on or after April 10, 2026
- North America Main and Saver tickets bought on or after April 10, 2026: 1st bag $45, 2nd $55, 3rd $200; no prepaid discount listed on that table.
- Earlier tickets bought on or before April 9, 2026: $40 ($35 prepaid) for the 1st bag, $45 for the 2nd and $150 for the 3rd.
- Interisland (wholly within Hawaii): 1st bag $30, 2nd bag $40.
- Saver doesn’t limit bags the way the most basic fares do: the carry-on is free, and checked bags cost the same as Main.
- Hawaiian Huakaʻi: 1st and 2nd bags free up to 50 lb on flights wholly within Hawaii.
- Sources: the checked bags pages on alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com. Our pages: Alaska baggage fees, Hawaiian baggage fees.
Frontier and Allegiant: prices vary by flight
- Frontier: use the Bag Price Checker. Published overweight fee $75 for 41 to 50 lb; for 51 to 99.99 lb, $100 on bookings made before April 4, 2026 or $129 on bookings on or after that date; oversize $75 (63 to 110). Personal item 18×14×8 free; carry-on 24×16×10 costs extra on Basic and Standard fares (Frontier bag options page).
- Allegiant: priced per flight segment by route and timing; carry-on $10 to $75 (Optional Services); overweight adds $50 or $75 and oversize adds $75; personal item 8×14×18; carry-on 10×16×22.
- Sun Country, Avelo, and Breeze also price bags by route and date; see their pages below.
Our pages: Frontier baggage fees, Allegiant baggage fees, Sun Country baggage fees, Avelo baggage fees, Breeze baggage fees.
How to use ticket dates (checklist)
- Find your purchase or change date on your confirmation.
- Open the airline’s official fees page and find the table for your ticket date.
- For budget airlines, run the airline calculator for your exact itinerary.
- Check the price again before you pay at the airport; counter and gate prices are often higher.
FAQ
- Did Southwest stop Bags Fly Free?
- For most fares, yes. Checked bag fees began with bookings on or after May 28, 2025. Carry-ons stayed free. Some fares and some status, credit card or military benefits still include free checked bags.
- Why is United’s Basic Economy gate fee $75 now?
- For tickets bought on or after April 3, 2026, United’s Basic Economy fees to check a carry-on are $45 prepaid, $50 at the airport counter or $75 at the gate. Many older blogs still cite $65 from the earlier fee period.
- Do American and Delta Basic Economy include a carry-on?
- Yes. Unlike most United Basic Economy domestic flights, American and Delta still include a free overhead bag that meets the size limit (bin space can still run out).
- Are Frontier and Allegiant checked bags a fixed price?
- No. Use each airline’s official pricing tool. BagRule only lists the published overweight and oversize charges.
- Which date controls my fee?
- Usually when the ticket was purchased (and for Southwest, sometimes when it was changed). Check the airline’s fee table for that date.
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Disclaimer
Bag rules change. Confirm size, fee, and fare rules on the airline site before you travel. BagRule is a publisher site and does not sell tickets or bags.