Airline Baggage E-Guide
Fees, dimensions, personal items, and baby bag rules for the 8 major U.S. carriers — including the latest fuel-driven price hikes.
Gate Access Airline Baggage E-Guide. This guide is monitored and updated regularly.
This format $XX → $XX should be read as previous cost vs new cost.
United Airlines
⚠️ Fee increase effective April 3, 2026
Carry-On: Free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 22 x 14 x 9 inches. No weight limit specified. Note: Basic Economy passengers do not get a carry-on — personal item only.
Personal Item: Free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 17 x 10 x 9 inches. Think purses, laptop bags, or small backpacks. Must fit under the seat in front of you.
Checked Baggage:
1st bag: $35 → $45
2nd bag: $35 → $45
Paying within 24 hours of your flight adds an extra $5 per bag. Bags must be under 50 lbs and within 62 linear inches. The absolute max weight is 100 lbs.
Baby Bags: Diaper bags fly free and don’t count against your carry-on limit (1 per infant). Strollers and car seats are checked for free. Breast pumps and milk are also exempt from baggage fees.
Who gets free bags: MileagePlus Premier members, United-branded Chase credit card holders, active military, and premium cabin passengers.
Delta Air Lines
⚠️ Fee increase effective April 8, 2026
Carry-On: Free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 22 x 14 x 9 inches. No weight limit. Basic Economy passengers are included — Delta does allow a carry-on across all fare classes.
Personal Item: Free. 1 bag allowed. Must fit under the seat. Examples: purse, laptop bag. No published size limit, but it must realistically fit underfoot.
Checked Baggage:
1st bag: $35 → $45
2nd bag: $45 → $55
3rd bag: $150 → $200
Bags must be within 62 linear inches and under 50 lbs.
Baby Bags: Diaper bags are free and don’t count toward your carry-on allowance (1 per lap infant). Strollers, car seats, booster seats, and infant bassinets all check for free. Breast pumps and cooler bags are also exempt.
Who gets free bags: SkyMiles Medallion members, Delta AmEx cardholders (benefits vary by card), premium cabin travelers (First Class, Delta One, Premium Select), and active military.
American Airlines
⚠️ Fee increase effective April 9, 2026
Carry-On: Free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 22 x 14 x 9 inches. No weight limit specified. All fare classes, including Basic Economy, are permitted a carry-on.
Personal Item: Free. 1 bag allowed. Must fit under the seat. No official published size limit, but standard guidance is to keep it purse/laptop-bag sized.
Checked Baggage:
Standard main cabin (non‑basic economy)
First checked bag: $45 if prepaid online / $50 at the airport.
Second checked bag: $55 if prepaid online / $60 at the airport.
Third checked bag: $200 on most affected routes (up from about $150 previously).
Basic economy (from May 18, 2026 bookings)
First checked bag: $55 standard, or $50 if paid online.
Second checked bag: $65 standard, or $60 if paid online.
Bags must be within 62 linear inches and under 50 lbs for standard fees. Oversized bags (up to 115 linear inches) incur additional charges.
Travelers in premium cabins, many elite‑status members, and some co‑branded cardholders still get one or more checked bags free, so these new fees mainly hit standard and basic‑economy leisure travelers.
Baby Bags: Diaper bags fly free and don’t count against your carry-on (1 per child). Strollers and car seats are checked for free. Breast pumps and soft-sided coolers for milk are also exempt.
Who gets free bags: AAdvantage elite members (up to 3 free bags depending on tier), Oneworld elite status holders, and co-branded American Airlines credit card holders.
JetBlue
⚠️ Fee increase effective April 1, 2026
Carry-On: Free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 22 x 14 x 9 inches. No weight limit. All fare classes permitted.
Personal Item: Free. 1 bag allowed. Must fit under the seat—examples: purse, laptop bag, small backpack. No strict published dimensions, but standard under-seat sizing applies.
Checked Baggage:
1st bag (off-peak): $35 → $39
1st bag (peak): $40 → $49
2nd bag (off-peak): $45 → $59
2nd bag (peak): $45 → $69
Prepaying online saves roughly $10 vs. paying at the gate. Bags must weigh under 50 lbs and measure no more than 62 linear inches.
Baby Bags: Diaper bags are free and don’t count toward your carry-on allowance (1 per lap infant). Strollers and car seats are checked for free. Breast pumps are treated as a medical device and are exempt.
Who gets free bags: Mint fare and Mosaic status passengers receive complimentary checked bags. Select JetBlue credit card holders may also qualify.
Southwest Airlines
⚠️ “Bags Fly Free” ended May 28, 2025. Fee increases effective April 9, 2026.
Carry-On: Free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 24 x 16 x 10 inches — slightly larger than most carriers. No weight limit.
Personal Item: Free. 1 bag allowed. Must fit under the seat. Examples: purse, laptop bag, small backpack.
Checked Baggage:
1st bag: $35 → $45
2nd bag: $45 → $55
Choice Extra fares still include 2 free checked bags. Business Select fares also include 2 free bags. Bags must weigh under 50 lbs and measure no more than 62 linear inches.
Baby Bags: Diaper bags are free and don’t count toward your carry-on allowance. Strollers and car seats are checked for free (1 each). Breast pumps and milk are also exempt.
Who gets free bags: Rapid Rewards A-List members (1 free), A-List Preferred members (2 free), Rapid Rewards credit card holders (1 free), Business Select fare passengers (2 free), and active-duty military (unlimited free bags).
Frontier Airlines
Frontier operates on an ultra-low-cost model, which means fees are layered and dynamic. Prices increase significantly the closer you get to departure, so always prepay.
Carry-On: NOT free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 24 x 16 x 10 inches. Max weight: 35 lbs. Cost ranges from $29–$69 at booking to $99–$115 at the gate. Prices vary by route.
Personal Item: Free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 14 x 18 x 8 inches (including handles and wheels). Examples: purse, tote, briefcase, small backpack. This is your best friend on Frontier.
Checked Baggage (standard fares):
1st bag: $53–$63 (at booking) → $99–$117 (at gate)
2nd bag: $75–$95 (at booking) → higher at gate
The weight limit is 40 lbs standard (stricter than most carriers). Overweight fees: $75 for 41–50 lbs; $100–$129 for 51–99.99 lbs. Bags must be within 62 linear inches.
Baby Bags: Diaper bags are free for adults traveling with lap infants and don’t count against your baggage allowance. Strollers and car seats are checked for free. Formula, breast milk, and baby food are permitted in carry-ons.
Who gets free bags: Active-duty military and their families receive a free carry-on and 2 free checked bags. No standard loyalty/elite program with baggage benefits.
Spirit Airlines
Like Frontier, Spirit is an ultra-low-cost carrier. The base fare is cheap, but your carry-on is not included.
Carry-On: NOT free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 22 x 18 x 10 inches (including handles and wheels). Cost ranges from $35 to $65, depending on when you pay — least expensive at booking, most expensive at the gate. Premium Economy and Spirit First fares include a carry-on.
Personal Item: Free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 18 x 14 x 8 inches (including handles and wheels). Examples: small backpack, laptop bag, purse. This is the only free bag for most Spirit passengers.
Checked Baggage: Fees are dynamic and vary by route and timing; always prepay.
1st bag: varies by route (cheapest at booking) → up to $65+ (at gate)
2nd bag: varies by route (cheapest at booking) → higher at gate
Size limit: 62 linear inches. Weight limit: 50 lbs. Overweight (51–99.99 lbs): $125 extra. Oversized: $150 extra.
Baby Bags: Diaper bags are free and don’t count toward your baggage allowance (1 per child under 2). Strollers and car seats are checked for free. Lap infants under 2 fly for free.
Who gets free bags: Gold loyalty members receive 1 free carry-on and 1 free checked bag. Active-duty military and their family members receive 2 free checked bags plus a free carry-on.
Allegiant
Allegiant charges per segment (each individual flight leg), not per round-trip, so on a round-trip, you’re paying for bags twice.
Carry-On: NOT free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 10 x 16 x 22 inches. Cost ranges from $10–$75 at booking to $75 at the airport. Pricing varies by route; prepaying always saves money.
Personal Item: Free. 1 bag allowed. Max size: 8 x 14 x 18 inches. Must fit under the seat—examples: purse, briefcase, small backpack.
Checked Baggage:
1st bag: $18–$50 (at booking) → up to $75 (at airport)
All fees are charged per segment. On a round-trip, you pay bag fees both ways. Size limit: 80 linear inches (more generous than most carriers). Weight limit: 50 lbs. Overweight 51–70 lbs: $50 extra per segment. Overweight 71–99 lbs: $75 extra per segment. Oversized: $75 extra per segment.
Baby Bags: Diaper bags are free and don’t count against your carry-on (max size: 7 x 15 x 16 inches, 1 per lap child). Strollers and car seats are checked or gate-checked for free.
Who gets free bags: No loyalty program or co-branded credit card with baggage benefits is currently available.
All 8 airlines treat diaper bags as a courtesy item, free of charge, and none count them against your carry-on allowance when traveling with a lap infant. Strollers and car seats are also universally free to check. This is one of the few areas where the whole industry is aligned — which is good news for traveling families.
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