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Today, picking the right airfare may not be the overall cheapest airfare,
especially if you are checking bags. Budget travelers should learn to pack
lightly before mastering any other money-saving technique. Now more than
ever, airlines are imposing hefty penalties on excess, oversized and
overweight luggage, with fees ranging from $50 to a whopping $600.
Below are some of the major airlines of checked bag fees. If your airline
of choice is unlisted here, go to their home page and then find baggage
information.
Singapore Airlines:
click to see SIA chart
AirFrance:
Each passenger is allowed to check two items free of charge. Each item
must not exceed a weight of 23 kg. (50 lbs.) Those bags weighing in excess
of that amount incur a fee of €50 (or $50 USD/CAD). Each additional item
incurs a fee of $150 USD. Air France Flying Blue members are granted
additional weight limits.
All Nippon Airways:
ANA
allows two free checked baggage pieces on international flights. Each
piece must weigh less than 50 lbs. A carry-on piece less than 22 lbs. is
also permitted. ANA requires advance arrangements with their customer
service center for bulky baggage with total linear dimensions exceeding
203 cm. (80 inches) or weighing more than 32 kg. (70 lbs). Excess baggage
fees range from $34-130 USD, and the charge per piece is different between
departure from Japan and departure from the U.S. or Guam.
American Airlines:
For
flights within the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada,
American passengers pay $15 USD for their first checked bag and $25 for
the second bag. One carry-on is permitted at no charge. On international
flights, one carry-on and two checked bags are permitted for free.
American charges $100 per piece for the 3rd, 4th and 5th checked bags and
$200 per piece for the 6th checked bag and any additional pieces.
China Southern Airlines:
The
China Southern free baggage allowance is 40kg. for first class, 30kg. for
business class, and 20kg. for economy class. If you receive a free
upgrade, allowance is based on your original reservation. Specific fees
are not listed on the Web site.
Continental Airlines:
Continental charges passengers within the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and
the U.S. Virgin Islands with one checked bag in economy $15 USD. Each bag
must not exceed 23 kg. (50 lbs.) A second bag costs $25. International
travelers are permitted two checked bags at no charge. There are a host of
exemptions to the fees that include active military personnel traveling on
orders and travelers paying full fare. Bags weighing between 50-70 lbs.
incur a fee of $50 per item. Bags weighing more than 70 lbs. are not
accepted.
Delta Airlines:
Delta now charges $15 USD for the first checked bag and $25 for a second.
If traveling outside the U.S. you can check two bags free of charge.
Checked bags must weigh less than 50 lbs. An extra bag that goes over the
limits will involve a charge ranging from $90-$300 per bag. Bags weighing
more than 100 lbs. are not permitted.
Japan Airlines:
JAL
permits one free carry-on bag weighing less than 10 kg. (22 lbs.), in
addition to two free checked bags. The size limits on these bags vary by
type of route. Excess fees are calculated using this formula: Normal
economy class fare between boarding points (adult one-way) x 1.5% x excess
baggage weight in kg., rounded up to the nearest hundred yen. Keep in mind
that if you got a sale fare, they will use the normal fare to make the
calculation. The free baggage allowance on economy class on flights is 23
kg. (50 lbs.). For each piece exceeding 23 kg. but no more than 32 kg., an
extra charge of JPY 5,000 or $50 USD applies per piece.
Lufthansa:
Lufthansa allows two checked bags per passenger weighing 23-32 kg. each,
depending upon your route. The airline uses a zone system to determine
fees for excess baggage weight. It adds up quickly: 5€ for every excess
kilogram on domestic flights within Germany, but long-haul flights can
involve 40€/kg.
Northwest Airlines:
Northwest now charges for every checked piece of baggage in coach on
domestic flights. The first bag on a domestic flight is $15 USD; the
second costs $25; the third is $125 and bags four through 10 are $200.
Northwest defines a domestic flight as within the U.S. and not involving
destinations in Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. On such flights and other
international flights from the U.S., bags one and two are free. There is a
long list of charges for baggage that exceeds 50 lbs. The charges vary by
destination and can add up quickly.
United Airlines:
United charges each passenger $15 for the first checked bag. Oversize bags
(beyond 50 lbs.) incur a fee of $175, and overweight bags are assessed
$125. The schedule of charges and conditions is complicated, so read
carefully. All the fees you see on the United page linked here apply to
one-way travel, so double them for a round trip.
Over the past year, nearly every U.S. airline has added fees to check bags
on domestic flights. Many are charging fees on flights to Canada, the
Caribbean and Latin America.
|
Airline |
1st
checked Bag |
2nd
checked Bag |
Additional Bags |
Overweight Bags |
Oversized Bags |
|
Airtran |
$15 |
$25 |
$50 |
51-70 lbs
(23-32kgs): $39
71 to 99 lbs: $79 |
62-70 total linear
inches: $29 $39; 71-80 inches $69 $79 |
|
Alaska |
$15 |
$25 |
3rd-6th bags:
$100; 7th or more: $150 |
51-100 lbs: $50 |
63-80 inches:
$50; 81-115 inches: $75 |
|
American |
$15 |
$25 |
Bags 3-5: $100;
6th or more: $200 |
51-70 lbs
(23-32kgs): $50; 71-100 lbs: $100. |
63 inches and
over: $150 |
|
Continental |
$15 |
$25 |
$75 nonstop/$100
connecting |
51-70 lbs
(23-32kgs): $50
Over 70 lbs not accepted. |
63 inches and
over: $100 |
|
Delta & Northwest |
$15 |
$50 |
Third bag: $125;
Bags 4 to 10 $200 each (For travel outside US, no fee for 2nd bag,
$200 for 3rd bag, $350 for 4th and 5th, $600 for bags 6-10). |
51-70 lbs
(23-32kgs): $90 ($150 for travel outside US)
71 to 100 lbs: $175 ($300 each outside US) |
63-80 total linear
inches: $175 |
|
Frontier |
$15 |
$25 |
$50 |
51-100 lbs: $75 |
63-80 inches: $75 |
|
JetBlue |
$0 |
$20 |
$75 |
51-70 lbs: $50;
71-99 lbs: $100 |
63-80 inches: $75 |
|
Spirit |
$19 |
$25 |
Bags 3-5: $100
(online or at airport) |
51-70 lbs: $50
71 to 99 lbs: $100 |
62-79 inches:
$100; 80 inches and over: $150 |
|
Southwest |
$0 |
$0 |
First additional
bag: $25; bags 4-9: $50; 10 and more: $110 |
51-70 lbs: $25;
71-100 lbs: $50 |
62-80 inches: $50 |
|
United |
$20 ($5 discount
if paid online) |
$30 ($5 discount
if paid online) |
Bags 1-4: $125;
5th or more: $250 |
$100 |
63-115 inches:
$125 |
|
US Airways |
$20 at airport,
$15 online |
$30 at airport,
$25 online |
Bags 3-9: $100 |
51-70 lbs
(23-32kgs): $70
71 to 99 lbs: $120 |
62-80 total linear
inches: $100 |
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