Checked Bag Fees Compared: Delta, United, American and Southwest

By the SlickFlight travel desk · Published October 30, 2026 · Facts checked October 30, 2026

On a domestic economy ticket, a first checked bag costs $45 and a second costs $55 on all four of the biggest US airlines: Delta, United, American and Southwest. The headline price is the same everywhere now. What differs is how you pay, which fare you bought and whether you qualify for a free bag.

United, American and Southwest all raised their fees in April 2026, and on each of them the date you bought the ticket decides which price you pay. That's worth knowing if you booked a trip months ago.

The short version

These are one-way prices for domestic economy tickets under each airline's current rules, taken from the airlines' own pages in October 2026. Premium cabins, status members and some credit cardholders pay less or nothing, covered below.

Delta

Delta lists $45 for the first standard bag and $55 for the second, each way, on domestic Delta Main and Delta Comfort tickets. Bags must be under 50 pounds and no more than 62 inches when you add length, width and height. Delta One and Delta First passengers get a 70-pound limit.

Delta's baggage page shows one price rather than an online and an airport price. It also notes that lower fees may apply depending on when the ticket was bought, so an older booking can carry older prices.

Who checks a first bag free on Delta: SkyMiles Medallion members and eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express cardmembers.

United

United raised bag fees for domestic tickets bought on or after April 3, 2026. Its bag fee calculator, run for a Newark to Orlando economy trip, shows $45 for the first bag if you prepay and $50 if you don't, and $55 or $60 for the second. United says the savings apply when you buy checked bags online at least 24 hours before departure.

The calculator showed the same first and second bag prices for Basic Economy as for standard economy on that route. The difference with United Basic Economy is the carry-on, not the checked bag.

Here's the trap. On most United Basic Economy tickets you can bring only a personal item that fits under the seat. If you turn up at the gate with a full-sized carry-on, United charges $75 to check it there on tickets bought on or after April 3, 2026. Checking that same bag in the lobby before security costs the normal checked bag fee. If you're on Basic Economy and need a roller bag, pay for it before you leave home.

Size and weight on United economy: 62 linear inches and 50 pounds. MileagePlus Premier members get free bags at 70 pounds each, and qualifying United cardmembers can get the first, or first and second, bag waived.

American

American's fees went up for tickets bought on or after April 9, 2026. On flights within the US, and to Canada, Mexico, most of the Caribbean and Central America, the first bag is $45 online and $50 at the airport, and the second is $55 online and $60 at the airport. A third bag is $200.

Basic Economy tickets bought on or after May 18, 2026 pay $5 more for the first and second bag: $50 online for the first, $55 at the airport. That's the only one of the four big airlines where the cheapest fare also costs more to check a bag.

American's limits are 62 inches and 50 pounds in economy. It also says fees are charged per person and each direction, and that if you pay for bags and later get an upgrade with free bags, the bag fees you already paid aren't refunded.

Who checks bags free on American: AAdvantage status members, premium cabin passengers, active-duty US military personnel, and most AAdvantage co-branded cardmembers on their first eligible bag on domestic American itineraries.

Southwest

Southwest started charging for bags in 2025, and raised the price for tickets booked, ticketed or changed on or after April 9, 2026. On Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares within the US mainland, the first bag is $45 and the second $55. Older tickets keep the earlier $35 and $45 prices. A third bag or more is $150.

The useful exception is the fare itself. Southwest's Choice Extra fare includes two free checked bags. So do A-List Preferred status and active-duty military travel. A-List members and Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers get their first bag free.

Southwest's page doesn't print a standard size limit, but its fee table charges $100 for a bag of 51 to 70 pounds, $200 for 71 to 100 pounds, and $200 for a bag of 63 to 80 inches.

The real cost is per person, each way

Bag fees look small on a booking page because they're shown for one bag on one flight. They add up quickly.

A family of four with one checked bag each, flying a round trip, pays the first-bag fee eight times. At $45 that's $360, or $400 if they pay at the airport on United or American. Add a second bag for a couple of them and the bags can cost more than one of the tickets.

That's why the cheapest fare isn't always the cheapest trip. Before you book, compare:

• The fare plus the bags, not the fare alone. On Southwest, Choice Extra includes two bags each way, which can close the gap with a Basic fare quickly if you're checking bags.
• Whether a credit card or status covers you. All four airlines waive at least the first bag for some cardholders or status members. If someone in your party qualifies, check whether the benefit covers companions on the same booking.
• Packing to one bag each. On every airline in this guide, the second bag costs $10 more than the first.

How to avoid paying the airport price

On United and American, paying online before you get to the airport saves $5 per bag, each way. United's discount applies when you buy at least 24 hours before departure, so leave it until check-in at your own risk.

Delta and Southwest list one price, so there's no prepay discount to chase. The saving there comes from the fare you choose and any benefits you already hold.

Before you pay

Check the bag allowance shown with your fare. On SlickFlight, each flight result shows the airline's fare name and the bag allowance that comes with it, so you can compare a Basic fare with a fare that includes bags before you choose. The airline's own fee page or calculator is the final word for your route, especially for international trips, where the prices in this guide don't apply.

Common questions