Bags and seats, without the airport surprise
The most common bad moment in air travel is the gate agent telling you your bag is not included. The good news: you can know before you book.
Four things people mix up
- Personal item. A small bag that fits under the seat in front. Included on almost every fare.
- Carry-on. The wheeled bag for the overhead bin. Not included on many basic fares in the US, and on most low-cost airlines.
- Checked bag. Often paid per bag, each way, on domestic economy fares. More often included on long international flights.
- Seat choice. A separate thing again. Some fares only let you choose once check-in opens.
Spotting it on a SlickFlight result
Each result shows the carry-on and checked bag allowance plus the airline's own name for the fare. Those come from the fare the airline filed for that exact flight, which matters, because two economy results on the same plane can include different bags.
Carry-on
Says “Cabin bag” if an overhead-bin bag is included and “No cabin bag” if not. Travelling with a wheeled bag? Add its cost before comparing against a pricier fare.
Checked bags
Shows how many checked bags are included. Zero is normal for domestic economy. If you need one, the next fare up can work out cheaper overall.
About paid seats
Paying for a seat reserves that seat, but airlines can still move you if the aircraft changes or for safety reasons. If that happens, you can usually ask the airline to refund the seat fee.
Travelling with young children? Several airlines seat a child next to an adult at no charge even on fares that normally charge, so ask before paying. Exit rows come with age and ability rules that are enforced at the gate.
If something looks wrong on your SlickFlight booking
If the bag allowance on your SlickFlight reservation does not match what you were shown, call (800) 555-0123 with your SLK reference and we will raise it with the airline.
Bag sizes, weights and fees are set by each airline and can change. Check the airline's own baggage page before you fly, especially when a partner airline operates part of the trip.