How to Avoid Airline Baggage Fees

Staff
Co-Authored

As a passenger, you’re interested in keeping your overall travel costs as low as possible. Many travelers can avoid all baggage fees by using only carry-on luggage and researching exceptions. If you must check bags, you can still plan ahead to minimize the fees you must pay.

Since fees are based on the size, weight, and amount of luggage you carry, packing light can help any passenger avoid the worst baggage fees.

1 Pack only carry on luggage. Most airlines allow you to bring one piece of carry-on luggage and one personal item (such as a purse or backpack) free of charge. If you can fit everything you need into this luggage then you can avoid baggage fees entirely.^[1]
- Some budget airlines charge even for carry-on luggage, so check with yours ahead of time to be sure.
- Your carry on baggage may sometimes be checked (for free) at your gate before departure if the plane is expected to be very full.
2 Make sure your luggage is within the size limits. Carry-on luggage must fit into the overhead compartment on a plane, and a personal item must fit under the seat in front of your. Check your airline’s website before you depart for its specific size regulations.^[2]
- Most airlines have a receptacle at the check-in counter or gate that you can slide your carry-on luggage into to verify that it is within the size limits.
- Keep in mind that your airline may technically have a weight limit for carry-on luggage, though crews rarely take the time to weigh carry on luggage.
- In the worst-case scenario, when your carry on is weighed and found to be over the limit, you may be asked to check it.
3 Reduce the amount of luggage you carry. Most people tend to significantly overpack.Carrying as little as possible is the best way to avoid or reduce baggage fees. If you can reduce two checked bags to one, or a checked bag to a carry-on, you’ll see instant savings.^[3]
- Minimize the number of things you take. For instance, you might think you need to bring five pairs of shoes on vacation, but three will probably do it.
- Favor a few versatile items over lots of one-use pieces. For instance, if you’re going on a beach vacation, carry a long white button-down shirt: you can wear it with pants, and it can double as a swimsuit cover.
4 Pack tightly as well as lightly. Balling all of your clothes up and throwing them in your luggage will waste precious space. Instead, roll your clothes up tightly and neatly place them in your luggage. You’ll be able to fit much more in your luggage, and reduce the number of pieces you carry–and the fees you’ll be subject to. There are other ways of squeezing more in. For instance:^[4]
- Vacuum pack your clothing in compression bags. All you have to do is hook a vacuum cleaner up to an opening on these bags, and it will remove all of the excess air so that your items take up less space.
- Tuck small items within other items. For instance, roll up socks or a belt and place them inside your shoes.
5 Wear as much as you can rather than packing it. This is another way to reduce the amount you have to carry in your luggage, thereby lowering potential baggage fees. There are a number of creative ways to do this. For instance:^[5]
- Wear layers on the plane to reduce what you have to put in your luggage.
- Wear your bulkiest items, like a large coat, rather than putting them in your luggage. You can always take it off once you’re in your airplane seat.
- Use your pockets to hold small things rather than putting them in your luggage. You can even fold small clothing items and place them in large pockets of a jacket or cargo pants.
6 Use the largest allowable personal item. Almost all airlines allow you to carry a personal item for free. This is usually expected to be something like a purse or laptop bag, but a backpack or small duffel will also usually slip by with no problem. Pack as much as you can into this item.^[6]
7 Put heavy items in your carry-on luggage if you are checking a bag. Personal items and carry on bags are usually not weighed (unlike checked bags). Put your heaviest items in carry-on luggage to make it less likely that your checked bag be subject to an overweight baggage fee.^[7]
8 Weigh your bags at home. No one wants to make it all the way to the check-in counter before realizing that their bag is overweight and subject to an overweight baggage fee. Do yourself a…