Hub · Thanksgiving

Checked Bag Fees 2026: Delta, American, United, Southwest and JetBlue Side by Side

JetBlue raised its fees again Nov. 3, after the others went up this spring. What each airline charges for the first, second and third bag, how much paying ahead saves, and what one bag adds to a Thanksgiving trip for a family of four.

By Bruno Monteiro

Published Nov. 5, 2026 · Updated Nov. 6, 2026

CheckedNov. 52026

Delta’s self-service bag drop counters under blue screens at New York’s JFK Terminal 4 — Delta’s self-service bag drop at JFK Terminal 4 (2023 photo). Photo: Delta Air Lines

The short answer

The first checked bag now costs $45 to $70 each way on a domestic economy ticket with Delta, Southwest, American, United or JetBlue, depending on the airline, the date and when you pay.

Delta and Southwest charge $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second, the same at any time. American and United charge $45 and $55 if you pay ahead online, $50 and $60 if you don’t.

JetBlue costs the most over the holidays: $55 for the first bag if you add it more than 24 hours before the flight, $70 inside 24 hours.

At a glance

First bag, cheapest way: $45 on Delta, Southwest, American and United; $50 on JetBlue off-peak, $55 on its peak dates
Second bag, cheapest way: $55 on Delta, Southwest, American and United; $70 to $75 on JetBlue
Third bag: $200 on Delta, American and JetBlue; $150 on Southwest
Paying ahead saves: $5 a bag on American and United, $10 to $15 on JetBlue, nothing on Delta or Southwest
Thanksgiving on JetBlue: Peak pricing Nov. 19–30, all of December and Jan. 1–18
Which fee you owe: The one in effect when you bought the ticket
Free first bag: With elite status on all five; with the airline’s credit card on Delta, Southwest, American and JetBlue
Last checked: Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, against the sources at the end of this page

Checked bag fees by airline, domestic economy, each way

5 on the list · status updates itself from each offer's dates

Airline	1st bag	2nd bag	3rd bag	How to pay less
Delta (official page, opens in a new tab)	$45For tickets bought from April 8, 2026 (before that: $35 and $45). Free 1st bag: Medallion members and eligible Delta SkyMiles Amex cardmembers, who can also get the 2nd bag free on domestic Delta flights.	$55	$200	One price. Pay when you check in, from 24 hours before, or at the airport; miles work at most U.S. airports
Southwest (official page, opens in a new tab)	$45Choice Extra fares and A-List Preferred members: 2 free bags. A-List: 1st free, 2nd $35. Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers: 1st bag free for you and up to 8 others on the reservation, if your Rapid Rewards number is on the booking.	$55	$150	One price, wherever and whenever you pay
American (official page, opens in a new tab)	$45 online, $50 at the airportBasic Economy pays $5 more ($50/$55 and $60/$65) on tickets issued from May 18, 2026; Main Cabin prices apply to tickets issued from April 9. Free 1st bag: eligible AAdvantage cardholders on domestic American-operated trips, and Gold status and up.	$55 online, $60 at the airport	$200	Pay online up to 2 hours before departure to save $5 on each of the first 2 bags
United (official page, opens in a new tab)	$45 prepaid, $50 standardSame prices in Basic Economy, from United’s calculator for Chicago to Denver on Nov. 25. United says domestic bag fees went up for tickets bought on or after April 3, 2026; the calculator also prices bags for its card members and Premier status.	$55 prepaid, $60 standard	—	Buy bags online at least 24 hours before departure
JetBlue (official page, opens in a new tab)	Peak: $55 ahead, $70 within 24 hours. Off-peak: $50 and $60Fees for bookings made from Nov. 3, 2026; earlier bookings show theirs in Manage Trips. Peak dates include Nov. 5–11 and Nov. 19 through Jan. 18. Free 1st bag: JetBlue Plus and Premier cardmembers and up to 3 others on the itinerary, and Mosaic members; BlueFirst and Mint fares include bags.	Peak: $75 ahead, $85 within 24 hours. Off-peak: $70 and $75	$200	Add bags before check-in, at least 24 hours before departure, to save $10 to $15 a bag

What one checked bag adds to a Thanksgiving trip

Bar chart titled What the first checked bag costs. Each way, domestic economy, for tickets bought now and flown Thanksgiving week 2026. Delta, one price: $45, same price any time. Southwest, one price: $45, same price any time. American, Main Cabin: $45 online up to 2 hours before, $50 at the airport. United, economy: $45 prepaid 24 or more hours ahead, $50 standard. JetBlue, peak dates: $55 added 24 or more hours ahead, $70 within 24 hours. American Basic Economy pays $5 more. JetBlue off-peak: $50 and $60. — First-bag fees from each airline’s own page and United’s bag calculator, checked Nov. 5, 2026. Graphic: Price Folk

Bag fees are charged per person, each way. So the number that matters is the round trip, times everyone in your party.

Here’s one checked bag per traveler, flying out and back during Thanksgiving week on a ticket bought now, paying the cheapest way each airline allows.

Airline	1 traveler, round trip	Family of 4, round trip
Delta	$90	$360
Southwest	$90	$360
American (Main Cabin)	$90 ($100 if you wait)	$360 ($400 if you wait)
United	$90 ($100 if you wait)	$360 ($400 if you wait)
JetBlue (peak dates)	$110 ($140 if you wait)	$440 ($560 if you wait)

“If you wait” is the airport price on American and United, and the price inside 24 hours of departure on JetBlue. Delta and Southwest charge the same either way.

A second bag each adds $440 for a family of four on Delta, Southwest, American or United if you pay ahead, and $600 on JetBlue at peak.

The fee you pay is the one from when you bought the ticket

Four of these five airlines raised bag fees this year, and each ties the price to the day you bought the ticket. If you booked Thanksgiving in the spring, you may owe less than the table shows.

United: higher domestic fees for tickets bought on or after April 3, 2026.
Delta: $45 and $55 for tickets bought from April 8, 2026, up from $35 and $45.
American: current Main Cabin prices for tickets issued from April 9, 2026, and Basic Economy’s from May 18.
JetBlue: new prices for bookings made from Nov. 3, 2026.

The quickest check is your own reservation. JetBlue tells earlier bookers to look in Manage Trips, United’s calculator has a My flights tab for a booked trip, and every airline shows the price when you pay for bags at check-in.

How to pay less

Pay ahead where it counts. It saves $5 a bag on American (online, up to 2 hours before) and United (at least 24 hours before), and $10 to $15 on JetBlue (at least 24 hours before). On Delta and Southwest it changes nothing.

Use the airline’s card or status. All five waive bag fees for some elite members, and Delta, Southwest, American and JetBlue waive the first bag for some cardholders. Southwest’s card covers up to eight others on the same reservation, and JetBlue’s up to three.

Check what your fare includes. Southwest’s Choice Extra fare comes with two free bags. JetBlue’s BlueFirst and Mint fares include bags, and its BlueFirst Base and Mint Base fares include one.

Watch the scale. A bag of 51 to 70 pounds costs $100 more on Delta and Southwest and $150 more on JetBlue, on top of the bag fee.

JetBlue’s peak dates

JetBlue charges more on busy dates, and it’s the only one of the five whose fee page publishes a peak calendar. Here it is:

November 2026: Nov. 5–11 and Nov. 19–30
December 2026: the whole month
January 2027: Jan. 1–18
February 2027: Feb. 11–22
Rest of 2027: April 1–26, May 20 through Sept. 8, and Oct. 9–13

Frontier and Allegiant price bags differently

Frontier says its bag prices vary with your travel dates and when you buy them, and points to its Bag Price Checker. Allegiant prices bags by route, per flight segment.

On both, the cheapest moment is when you book, and the airport is the most expensive place to pay.

How we figured the totals

We read each airline’s own fee page on Nov. 5, 2026, and United’s bag calculator for a Chicago–Denver flight on Nov. 25. Totals multiply the first-bag fee by two flights and by the number of travelers.

They cover domestic economy fares without status, a card or a fare that includes bags. Taxes, if any, aren’t included.

Watch

**JetBlue raises checked-bag fee (again) to ‘help offset’ operating costs** KTLA 5 · Nov. 4, 2026KTLA 5 on JetBlue’s second bag-fee increase in less than a year.

What we don't know yet

Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. Alaska’s bag page refused our browser and our page reader on Nov. 5, so their fees aren’t in the table.
Spirit Airlines. Its website didn’t load when we checked on Nov. 5.
United’s third-bag fee for this route. Its calculator showed the first two bags only.
Exact prices on Frontier and Allegiant, which change by route and date; their own tools show yours.

When any of this is confirmed, it goes into the page and the update history below.

Questions people ask

How much is a checked bag on Delta?

$45 for the first bag and $55 for the second, each way, on domestic flights in Delta Main and Comfort, for tickets bought from April 8, 2026. A third bag is $200.

How much does American Airlines charge for checked bags?

In Main Cabin, $45 for the first bag if you pay online and $50 at the airport; $55 and $60 for the second. Basic Economy pays $5 more. A third bag is $200.

How much is a checked bag on United?

$45 for the first bag if you prepay online at least 24 hours before departure, $50 otherwise; $55 and $60 for the second. United’s calculator showed the same prices in Basic Economy.

How much does Southwest charge for checked bags?

$45 for the first bag and $55 for the second, each way, on Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares. Choice Extra fares include two free bags. A third bag is $150.

How much is JetBlue’s checked bag fee at Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving week falls on JetBlue’s peak dates: $55 for the first bag if you add it more than 24 hours before departure, $70 inside 24 hours. The second bag is $75 or $85.

Is it cheaper to pay for checked bags online?

On American, United and JetBlue, yes: $5 a bag on American and United, $10 to $15 on JetBlue. Delta and Southwest charge the same wherever you pay.

Which airline has the cheapest checked bag fees?

Of these five, Delta, Southwest, American and United all charge $45 for the first bag paid the cheapest way. JetBlue charges $50, or $55 on peak dates.

Are checked bag fees per person or per trip?

Per person, each way. A round trip with one bag each is four bag fees for two people.