Flying is one of the most expensive parts of travel, and that’s partly because you’re never traveling alone; your luggage also comes along for the ride. Once upon a time, you only had to worry about baggage fees if you were flying with a budget airline. Nowadays, everyone charges for checked bags, making it that much more important to pack light or find a great deal to help offset the cost of some heavy luggage. Thankfully, scoring a great deal isn’t the only way to cut down on travel costs and baggage fees. With your next trip, here’s everything you need to know about airlines with free baggage and ways to pay less in travel fees so you can save more for your travel fun.
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Table of Contents
- Which Airlines Offer Free Checked Baggage?
- Which Airlines Include Free Carry-On Baggage?
- How To Avoid Paying Baggage Fees
- Avoid Baggage Fees and Score Cheap Flights with Next Vacay
Which Airlines Offer Free Checked Baggage?
A long time ago (actually less than two decades), checking your bags was free on major airlines. Unfortunately, that all changed in 2008 when American Airlines became the first major carrier to charge a $15 fee for a checked bag. Other airlines quickly followed suit, and now, the average price of a checked bag has more than doubled. Although Southwest Airlines used to be the notable exception to this rule—offering two free checked bags for every traveler—as of May 2025, the airline now charges baggage fees in line with those of other carriers. The unfortunate result is that travelers no longer have a staunch and steadfast option to fall back on when they need an airline offering free checked baggage. In fact, they’ll be hard-pressed to find any free baggage on offer outside of first-class or business-class fares.
✈️ Next Vacay Pro-Tip: Some airlines offer free checked baggage for select international routes. Always check the individual airline and route to see if baggage is free/included with your ticket.
But fear not; you don’t need to spend more to save a little. Instead, there are several savvy ways travelers can cut their baggage costs.
Which Airlines Include Free Carry-On Baggage?
So, we’ve established that checked baggage is no longer free; what about carry-ons? Travelers can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Most airlines include a free carry-on (22” x 14” x 9”) and a personal item on all fare types:
- Alaska Airlines: All fares include one personal item and a carry-on bag. Carry-ons have no weight limit, but travelers must be able to lift the bag into the overhead bin.
- American Airlines: All fares include one personal item and one carry-on. Carry-ons have no weight limit, but travelers must be able to lift the bag into the overhead bin. Personal items must not exceed 18 x 14 x 8 inches. (Note: AA will revise this carry-on policy in 2025.)
- Delta: All fares include one personal item and one carry-on bag. Carry-ons have no weight restrictions, except on flights from the following international cities: Singapore (15 lbs), Beijing (22 lbs), and Shanghai (22 lbs).
- Hawaiian Airlines: All fares include one personal item and one carry-on bag. Carry-ons must not exceed 25 lbs.
- JetBlue: All fares include one personal item and one carry-on bag. Carry-ons have no weight limit, but travelers must be able to lift the bag into the overhead bin. Personal items must not exceed 17 x 13 x 8 inches.
- Southwest: All fares include one personal item and one carry-on bag measuring 24 x 16 x 10 inches. (Note that the size limit for Southwest is larger than other airlines listed.)
There is one big name missing from the list above. United Airlines excludes free carry-ons from its Basic Economy fare, meaning budget travelers must pay more to include luggage.
- United Airlines: All fares (excluding Basic Economy) include one personal item and a carry-on bag. Personal items must not exceed 17 x 10 x 9 inches.
How To Avoid Paying Baggage Fees
So, no more free bags on Southwest = no free bags, period. Right? Well, not exactly. Although all major airlines no longer offer checked baggage for free upfront, and some carry-on policies come with caveats, that doesn’t mean travelers are at a loss. Here are five easy ways for travelers to lower or outright eliminate their baggage fees.
1. Earn Elite Status
Are you a frequent flyer? Do you travel on one airline in particular? Then, a simple solution for eliminating baggage fees on your future trips is to earn elite status with your preferred airline. Most major airlines include free checked baggage as part of their benefits packages for elite members:
- Alaska Airlines: MVP, MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, and MVP Gold 100K members can check two or three bags free of charge, depending on their status level. (Note: this will change in 2026 when MVP status will only include one bag.)
- American Airlines: Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum AAdvantage members can check up to three bags free of charge, depending on their membership status.
- Delta: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond members can check their first bag free of charge.
- Hawaiian Airlines: Pualini Gold members can check two bags for free. Pualini Platinum members can check up to three bags for free.
- JetBlue: TrueBlue Mosaic members can check their first two bags free of charge.
- United: Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K® elite members in premium cabins can check up to three bags for free.
2. Get the Right Credit Card
Airline membership loyalty programs aren’t the only way to get free checked baggage. Sometimes, it’s not how many miles you have under your belt; it’s about what you have in your wallet. More specifically, it’s all about which credit cards you have. These cards offer travelers free checked baggage allowances—no miles required.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® ($95 annual fee): Cardholders get the first bag free for themselves and up to six companions on the same reservation.
American Airlines
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® ($0 intro annual fee; then $99 annual fee): Cardholders get their first checked bag free on domestic flights. Travel companions are not included.
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® ($99 annual fee): Cardholders get their first checked bag free for themselves and up to four companions on the same reservation when flying domestic routes.
Delta
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card ($0 intro annual fee; then $150 annual fee): Cardholders get the first checked bag free for themselves and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Amex Card ($350 annual fee): Cardholders get the first checked bag free for themselves and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card ($650 annual fee): Cardholders get the first checked bag free for themselves and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard ($99 annual fee): Cardholders can check two bags free of charge. Travel companions are not included.
JetBlue
JetBlue Plus Card ($99 annual fee): Cardholders get the first checked bag free for themselves and up to three companions.
United
United℠ Explorer Card ($0 intro annual fee; then $95 annual fee): Cardholders get the first checked bag free for themselves and one companion on the same reservation.
United Quest℠ Card ($250 annual fee): Cardholders plus one companion each get two free checked bags.
United Club℠ Infinite Card ($525 annual fee): Cardholders plus one companion each get two free checked bags.
3. Fly Premium
If you can’t use elite status or a credit card to score free baggage on your next flight, consider flying in a premium cabin. Most airlines allow premium passengers to check one—or even two—bags free of charge. The caveat, of course, is that you’ll have to pay more for your ticket. It’s unlikely that the savings you earn from getting your bags checked for free will be enough to cover the difference in cabin costs, though. So, you’ll have to weigh the pros of free baggage against the increased travel costs. It may not make sense to upgrade solely for the free checked baggage. But it may be worth upgrading if you know you’ll be flying with a lot of luggage or on a long-haul flight where you can enjoy the additional comforts of a premium cabin.
Keep in mind, too, that you don’t always have to pay outright for your premium upgrade. Oftentimes, the best use of your travel rewards is paying for an upgrade to a premium cabin. With either loyalty points, miles, or a combination of both, you could fly upgraded and fly your bags for free, for very little, if any, additional cost to your wallet.
4. Use Your Military Status
Prices for baggage continue to rise, but one easy way to dodge the increased strain on your wallet is by using something you already have in there. No, not your credit card—your military ID. Most airlines offer free checked baggage allowances for military service members on official orders and for personal travel.
Alaska Airlines: Service members traveling for leisure can check up to five bags, each with a maximum weight of 70 lbs. Dependents on the same reservation can check two bags weighing up to 50 lbs for free. Military members and their dependents can check five bags free when traveling on orders.
American Airlines: Service members traveling for leisure can check three bags weighing up to 50 lbs, as can their dependents. Military members traveling on orders, along with their dependents, can each check up to five bags weighing up to 100 pounds.
Delta: Service members traveling for leisure can check two 50-pound bags for free with basic, Main Cabin, or Comfort+ fares, three 50-pound bags on a Premium Select fare, and three 70-pound bags with First Class and Delta One fares. For those traveling on military orders, Delta offers five free bags, each weighing up to 100 lbs, regardless of fare type.
Hawaiian Airlines: Service members traveling for leisure are eligible to check two free bags, each weighing up to 50 lbs, as are their dependents. On orders, service members and their dependents each may check five bags weighing up to 70 lbs.
JetBlue: Active-duty military members and their dependents can check two free bags, each weighing up to 50 lbs, while traveling for leisure. Traveling on duty, military members and their dependents can each check up to five complimentary bags weighing up to 99 lbs.
United: Service members traveling on leisure, along with their dependents, can check three free bags each. Traveling on orders, service members and their dependents can each check up to five bags for free.
5. Travel with a Carry-On
If all else fails, one surefire way to avoid checked baggage fees is to simply avoid bringing a checked bag altogether. Most airlines, with the notable exception of United, offer a free carry-on with even their most basic fare. And while it means traveling lighter than you might typically, who’s to say you can’t fit everything you need in the convenient package of a carry-on bag? As a plus, traveling with only a carry-on means you also avoid the dreaded spinning carousel of baggage at the end of your flight.
The Perfect Trip Formula: No Baggage Fees + Cheap Flights with Next Vacay
Savvy travelers can use a myriad of ways to score free baggage on their next trip, from flying with the right airline to using the right credit card and more. But baggage fees aren’t the only thing making your next trip expensive; there are flight prices, too. So, how do smart travelers get ahead and avoid paying exorbitant prices for their flights? Simple. They use Next Vacay.
Next Vacay takes all the stress and worry out of finding a cheap flight to your next great vacation. With an automated system scouring the web for the best deals and a dedicated team of deal hunters hand-checking them for cost efficiency, flexibility, and comfort, you get great opportunities and savings delivered to your inbox without lifting a finger.
Say goodbye to baggage fees and expensive flights. Say hello to Next Vacay.
