How to Avoid Carry-On and Checked Bag Fees: Complete Guide

Bag fees cost US travelers billions of dollars a year. Most of that spending is unnecessary. This guide covers every reliable method for avoiding carry-on and checked bag fees, from choosing the right airline to using the right credit card.

Strategy 1: Choose Airlines That Include Free Bags

The simplest way to avoid bag fees is to fly airlines that do not charge them.

US carriers with free carry-on in most fares:

• American Airlines (carry-on free, basic economy excludes this)
• Delta Air Lines (carry-on free, basic economy excludes this)
• United Airlines (carry-on free, basic economy excludes this)
• Alaska Airlines (carry-on free in all fare classes)
• Southwest Airlines (carry-on free plus two free checked bags)
• WestJet (carry-on free in most fares)
• Hawaiian Airlines (carry-on free)

What to watch: Basic economy fares on the big three US legacies (American, Delta, United) often exclude carry-on bags or restrict them to a small personal item. If carry-on access matters, book Main Cabin or higher.

Strategy 2: Use Co-Branded Airline Credit Cards

Airline credit cards are one of the highest-value tools for frequent travelers who fly a single carrier. The bag fee waiver alone typically covers the annual fee in one or two trips.

Cards that waive bag fees:

Card	Airline	Who Gets the Waiver
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select	American Airlines	Primary cardholder plus up to 4 companions on the same reservation
Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex	Delta	Primary cardholder plus 8 companions on same itinerary
United Explorer Card	United	Primary cardholder plus one companion on same reservation
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature	Alaska	Primary cardholder plus up to 6 companions

Annual fee math: Most of these cards carry annual fees of $99–$150 per year. A single round trip with one checked bag on American saves $90–$140 depending on route. The card typically pays for itself in one trip for regular travelers.

Strategy 3: Earn Elite Status for Automatic Waivers

Airline elite status waives bag fees automatically — no card needed, no code to enter. For frequent flyers, this is the cleanest solution.

• American Airlines AAdvantage Gold and above: First checked bag free for you and companions
• Delta Medallion Silver and above: First checked bag free; Gold and above get additional bags
• United MileagePlus Silver and above: First and second checked bags free
• Southwest A-List Preferred: All bags already free on Southwest anyway

Reaching status requires meaningful loyalty to one carrier, which only makes sense if you fly that airline regularly. If you are split across multiple airlines, a credit card waiver is more practical.

Strategy 4: Upgrade to a Fare Class That Includes Bags

On carriers where basic economy strips away carry-on access, the difference in fare between basic and standard economy is often smaller than the bag fee itself.

Example math on American Airlines:

• Basic economy fare: $189 + $35 carry-on fee = $224
• Main Cabin fare: $209 (carry-on included) = $209

Running this comparison at booking takes 30 seconds and frequently shows that the higher fare class is cheaper in total. Do this math every time you book on carriers with tiered bag policies.

Strategy 5: Pack Only a Personal Item

The most underused strategy for short and medium-length trips: pack everything into a personal item and bring no carry-on at all.

Personal items are free on virtually every airline, including ultra-budget carriers that charge for everything else. A well-chosen personal item bag at 18x14x8 inches holds:

• 2–4 days of clothing if packed efficiently
• Laptop and accessories
• Toiletry bag (within liquid limits)
• Documents, chargers, snacks

For trips of 1–4 days, packing within personal item dimensions eliminates carry-on fees entirely. This strategy works best with a structured bag that uses every cubic inch of its allowance.

Strategy 6: Time Your Add-On Purchase Correctly

If you need to buy bag access, when you buy it matters enormously.

Price order from cheapest to most expensive:

1. At booking (lowest price, usually)
2. Post-booking online before check-in opens
3. During online check-in (24–48 hours before departure)
4. At the airport check-in counter
5. At the gate (highest price, often 2–3x the online rate)

Set a reminder to add bags online after booking if you are not sure whether you need them. Changing your mind online before check-in is nearly always cheaper than deciding at the airport.

Combining Strategies

The travelers who never pay bag fees typically combine two or three of these approaches. A common combination: fly Southwest or an airline with free carry-on, hold the co-branded card for any carrier where you occasionally pay fees, and default to personal item packing for weekend trips. The result is close to zero in bag fees paid per year.