24 Airlines With the Lowest Baggage Fees
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 24 Airlines With the Lowest Baggage Fees
As airlines adapt to a changing market, travelers are spending more on fees related to flying. In fact, a government report revealed that consumers spent a shocking $7 billion in fees on baggage and flight changes in 2016, according to USA Today.
The pay-as-you-go pricing structure means that “low-cost” airlines can quickly become some of the most expensive. But not all airlines expect customers to pay exorbitant fees.
GOBankingRates used published airline fee schedules to find baggage fees for major domestic and international airlines with flights to and from the United States, ranking the best airlines based on total fees for carry-on, first checked and second checked bags. If you want to save money on travel, take a look at the airlines with the lowest fees.
Air China
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $0
Second checked baggage fee: $0
Extra baggage fee: $110
Passengers flying Air China shouldn’t expect to pay much past their initial ticket prices. The airline offers most creature comforts without extra charges, including meals, drinks and in-flight entertainment.
Those sending an unaccompanied minor on Air China will pay a $40 fee on foreign flights, but two or more unaccompanied minors flying together will be charged the fee only once. Pets aren’t allowed in the cabin but can ride in the baggage area for variable “special baggage” fees.
Emirates
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $0
Second checked baggage fee: $0
Extra baggage fee: Varies depending on route and ticket class
Emirates Airlines passengers can count on most services being part of their ticket fares, including meals, alcoholic drinks and in-flight entertainment. Even services for unaccompanied minors don’t cost extra with the purchase of a full-price adult fare for the young traveler. But if you want to fly first class on Emirates, it’ll cost you a small fortune.
WiFi data is free up to 20 MB, with 500 MB available for a fee. Those traveling with pets won’t be able to carry them in the main cabin, except for service dogs. They will have to check the pets as cargo.
Qatar Airways
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $0
Second checked baggage fee: $0
Extra baggage fee: $50 to $200
Regular meal service is included with all economy tickets for U.S.-bound and departing flights on Qatar Airways, as is in-flight entertainment. Unaccompanied minor fees, however, vary depending on the price of the ticket. With the exception of service dogs and falcons, animals aren’t allowed in the main cabin and must instead be checked in the baggage hold for $200 and up, depending on the animal’s size.
Turkish Airlines
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $0
Second checked baggage fee: $0
Extra baggage fee: $150 to $300
Meals are included with economy-class tickets to and from the U.S., but the number and type differ depending on the route and flight time. In-flight entertainment is free on Turkish Airlines, but communication with people on the ground will cost you.
Southwest Airlines
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $0
Second checked baggage fee: $0
Extra baggage fee: $75
If you want to save money on baggage fees, try flying Southwest. With no charges for carry-ons or the first two checked bags, Southwest boasts some of the best airline baggage fees of domestic U.S. airlines. The airline does charge for other boarding and in-flight comforts, however. You can expect to pay $15 in early-bird check-in and boarding fees and $8 per day for WiFi.
Unaccompanied minors fly at an added cost of $50 each way, and pets can fly in the cabin for $95 each way. Meals aren’t offered, but free snacks — like peanuts or pretzels — and soft drinks are provided.
Air France
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $0
Second checked baggage fee: $0 (only in some cases when flying economy)
Extra baggage fee: $75
As is true with other international airlines, meals are included in the ticket price on long-haul flights, and extra a la carte meals can be purchased for varying rates. Unaccompanied minor fees vary based on the price of an adult ticket, the child’s age and the destination. Pets that are small enough to fit under the seat can ride in the cabin for $235 on flights to and from the U.S.
Allegiant Air
Carry-on fee: $10 to $75
First checked baggage fee: $18 to $30
Second checked baggage fee: $18 to $30
Extra baggage fee: N/A
Along with charging small fees for all baggage, except personal items like purses, Allegiant charges fees for an impressive array of a la carte services. You might pay anywhere from $0 to $80 to choose your seat ahead of time, $4 to $12 to board the plane before other passengers, and $100 to fly with a pet in the cabin. In fact, Allegiant is one of the most affordable pet-friendly airlines.
Even the act of booking a ticket will cost you on Allegiant — $13 per person, per segment, for tickets purchased electronically; $14.99 for booking through the call center; and $5 to pick up a printed ticket at select airports.
PenAir
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $25
Second checked baggage fee: $25
Extra baggage fee: N/A
PenAir is another no-frills airline that skips out on offering meals to passengers. Unaccompanied minors can fly for an extra fee. Pets cost $50 in the cabin or $75 in the cargo hold.
WestJet
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $25 to $29.50
Second checked baggage fee: $35 to $41.30
Extra baggage fee: $75 to $118
You can get a snack, a drink or a meal on WestJet for anywhere from $2.29 to $19.54. Pets cost $50 to $59 to fly in the main cabin and $75 to $88.50 to fly as checked baggage. But restrictions based on travel dates, kennel sizes and animal types apply.
Unaccompanied minors are welcome to fly for an added fee of up to $118. And depending on the seat and time of booking, you can pay from $5 to $236 to choose where you’ll sit on the plane.
Virgin America
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $25
Second checked baggage fee: $25
Extra baggage fee: $25
Virgin America’s website states, “We’re not big fans of fees, neither are our friends at Alaska Airlines. But they do help us fly you in the award-winning style to which you’re accustomed.”
That sentiment helps explain not only the airline’s baggage allowance fees, but also several others, including unaccompanied minor fees of $25 to $50, a fee of $100 for pets traveling in the main cabin and a $15 fee for booking your ticket through the call center. Onboard meals and snacks will cost $4 to $9.
Alaska Airlines
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $25
Second checked baggage fee: $25
Extra baggage fee: $75
Whether stowed in the cabin or in baggage, your pet will cost you $100 when flying on Alaska Airlines. Snacks and hot meals are available for $6 to $8. Unaccompanied minors can fly for $25 to $50, depending on the route and traveler’s age.
Sun Country
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $25
Second checked baggage fee: $35
Extra baggage fee: $75
Snacks and sandwiches are available on this airline for $2 to $10. Flying as an unaccompanied minor costs $75, in addition to the ticket price. Pets can fly in the cabin for a $125 fee, or as baggage for $199.
JetBlue
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $25, depending on whether it’s purchased online or at the ticket counter
Second checked baggage fee: $35
Extra baggage fee: $100
Ranked as the best airline for coach seats, most of JetBlue’s fees are small and related to the creature comforts of flying. A headset costs travelers $5, a movie is another $5, blankets and pillows cost $5 to $6, alcoholic beverages are $7 and meals and snacks are $6 to $7. Pets and unaccompanied minors both fly for a $100 fee each way.
Hawaiian Airlines
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $25
Second checked baggage fee: $35
Extra baggage fee: $50 to $100
For some parts of the U.S., Hawaii could be considered a long-haul flight. Perhaps that’s why Hawaiian Airlines bucks the trend of most domestic airlines by offering an array of meals and drinks for free.
But not everything on this airline comes gratis: You’ll pay $175 for a pet in the cabin and $225 for a pet as luggage, $100 for an unaccompanied minor, $6 to $12 for various snacks, $6 to $17 for in-flight entertainment and $100 for a lost paper ticket.
Air Canada
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $25 to $26.25
Second checked baggage fee: $35 to $36.75
Extra baggage fee: $100 to $105
Sending an unaccompanied minor on an Air Canada flight will cost you $100 to $118 per child, per way, with pets in the cabin costing $50 to $57 per way. Pets in baggage are slightly pricier, at $105 to $120.75 per way.
Standard seat selection for the cheapest plane tickets will also cost you on this airline — $10 to $50 per one-way flight segment. You’ll pay $19 to $199 per flight segment for extra legroom and $3 to $10.56 for a meal or snack.
American Airlines
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $25
Second checked baggage fee: $35
Extra baggage fee: $150
If you want more legroom and early boarding on American Airlines, fees start at $20. An all-day WiFi pass is $19 on most domestic flights, and snacks and meals are priced from $2 to $10. Unaccompanied minors can fly for an additional $150 fee each way, and carry-on pets cost $125. Checked pets cost an additional $200.
Delta
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $25
Second checked baggage fee: $35
Extra baggage fee: $150 to $200
On Delta flights, unaccompanied minors cost $150 each way. Although it’s considered one of the best pet-friendly airlines, Delta charges a carry-on pet fee of $125, with all other pets booked separately through Delta Cargo. Snacks and meals are available for $6.99 to $8.99.
United
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $25
Second checked baggage fee: $35
Extra baggage fee: N/A
Travelers can purchase a snack or meal on a United flight for $5.99 to $11.99. Pets cost $125 each way in the cabin, and unaccompanied minors ring up an extra fee of $150 each way. You can also snag upgrades on United for various prices.
Silver Airways
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $24.98
Second checked baggage fee: $34.98
Extra baggage fee: N/A
Booking your ticket online is free, but making a flight reservation through the call center at Silver Airways will cost you $25, and booking at the airport will cost $35. Carrying a pet onboard comes with a $49 fee per way. Unaccompanied minors cost $99 each way on top of the ticket price.
British Airways
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $0
Second checked baggage fee: $90
Extra baggage fee: N/A
Additional fees on British Airways are minimal — mostly because the things that cost money on other international carriers aren’t allowed on British Airways. That goes for pets in the cabin, except service dogs, and unaccompanied minors. Standard meal service is included in the ticket price, and upgrades are available for a price.
KLM
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $0
Second checked baggage fee: $75
Extra baggage fee: $285
Booking a ticket by phone will cost you $25, with tickets booked at the airport running an additional $35. In-cabin pets travel for $200, and meals are $14 to $20. One good thing is that in-flight entertainment is complimentary.
Frontier
Carry-on fee: $35
First checked baggage fee: $30
Second checked baggage fee: $45
Extra baggage fee: $80
Each traveler can select a standard seat in advance of the flight for $6 to $11. Unaccompanied minors fly for a $110 per-child, per-way fee, and pets fly in the cabin for $75.
Did You Know? The Real Cost of ‘Cheap’ Flights
Lufthansa
Carry-on fee: $0
First checked baggage fee: $0
Second checked baggage fee: $200
Extra baggage fee: $350 to $650
Although Lufthansa offers a free carry-on and first checked bag, its price for a second checked bag is steep. An unaccompanied minor also flies at a rather high cost — $150 each way. Pets can fly in the cabin for $100 each way. Meals are included with an economy ticket price, though.
Spirit Airlines
Carry-on fee: Varies depending on route
First checked baggage fee: Varies depending on route
Second checked baggage fee: Varies depending on route
Extra baggage fee: N/A
Spirit is best known as a budget airline that charges separately for each piece of a flight experience. It’s almost impossible to know how much you’ll pay until you book a flight from a specific destination, to a specific destination, on a specific date. All bags come with a fee, with the exception of a small personal item like a purse.
Spirit also allows travelers to choose seat assignments for prices ranging from $1 to $50. You’ll pay $2 to print a boarding pass at an airport kiosk, $10 to have your boarding pass printed by an agent at the airport, $100 for an unaccompanied minor (price includes a snack and beverage) and $110 to transport a pet in the cabin. Snacks are offered for $1 to $10 and drinks for $1 to $15.
Click through to read more about the hidden fees airlines don’t want you to know about.
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Methodology: Airlines were ranked based on listed carry-on and first and second checked baggage fees for economy-class tickets on domestic routes within the United States or, for international carriers, on international routes from a major U.S. city to the airline’s main hub. In cases where a range of fees are listed, airlines were ranked based on the lowest fees for economy-class tickets. Excess baggage fees did not factor into the ranking and are provided for added information only. Pet fees, unaccompanied minor fees, meal fees and other a la carte service fees also did not factor into the ranking and are provided for added information only. Unless otherwise stated, all fees are each way, not round-trip. Some fees also have taxes, which are not included. All prices and fees are listed in U.S. dollars based on conversion rates in 2017.
