Free Checked Bag

[M&M mom]

Which airlines, if any, allow you to check one bag free of charge? Travelling with a family, those charges can add up fast!

 

[Elianor]

Southwest lets you have two!

 

[dudspizza]

Which airlines, if any, allow you to check one bag free of charge? Travelling with a family, those charges can add up fast!

Southwest lets you have two!

Off the top of my head, SW is the only airline with free checked bags.

OP, take a close look at the airfare AND the fees (bags and seat) and add them together. This would be your total airfare and then make an informed decision as to which airline to go with. Out of MSP, Airtran was by far the cheapest, even after adding in the seat and bag fees.

Duds

 

[Lewisc]

I think Jet Blue still lets you check one bag for free.

PP is correct. Just add the total fees when you compare airfares. Fees to check include a booking fee (Allegiant), Seat selection fee (multiple airlines), fee for checked luggage and fee for carryon bags (Spirit).


Spirit charges extra for checked bags over 40lbs, industry standard is 50.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

JetBlue gives each passenger the first checked bag free.

Details: http://www.jetblue.com/flying-on-jetblue/first-bag-free.asp

 

[crashbb]

Are you driving to the US and then flying from there? Or are you flying out of Canada?

Both Air Canada and WetJet give you the first piece free, but charge for the second.

 

[M&M mom]

Are you driving to the US and then flying from there? Or are you flying out of Canada?

Both Air Canada and WetJet give you the first piece free, but charge for the second.

We will be driving to the US, it's only a 4 hour drive to the airport and cuts the cost a lot!

 

[TDC Nala]

Of the US airlines, Jet Blue and Southwest (SW allows two checked bags free). That's it. All others charge (except for elite flyers).

I took a $103 flight on Jet Blue in October over the $89 flight on Airtran, because I need to check a suitcase and that adds $20 onto the Airtran fare.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

If your spouse is active duty military, you and your family can check bags for free on several airlines. United and Continental are two of the airlines which do so.

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,52649,00.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/200...check-delta-northwest-united-airtran-fall-in/

http://www.continental.com/CMS/en-US/travel/Pages/CheckedBaggage.aspx

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Of the US airlines, Jet Blue and Southwest (SW allows two checked bags free). That's it. All others charge (except for elite flyers).

Actually, there are other ways to qualify for free checked bags on airlines that charge.

For example, American Airlines exempts the following passengers from baggage charges:

• Customers who purchase full-fare tickets in Economy Class
• Customers who purchase Business or First Class tickets
• Active U.S. Military personnel traveling on orders or personal travel
• Active U.S. Military dependents traveling on orders
• American Airlines AAdvantage Executive Platinum®, AAdvantage Platinum® or AAdvantage Gold® members
• oneworld Alliance Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby members
• Customers flying on the same reservation as an American Airlines AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum or AAdvantage Gold member or oneworld Alliance Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby member regardless of frequent flier status or fare type (not applicable to group bookings)
• First and Business Class MileSAAver® Awards
• First, Business and Economy Class AAnytime® Awards
• First and Business Class upgrades confirmed prior to check in

Your first bag is checked for free on Delta and Delta Connection flights if you have a Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express. That's a $50 savings for one passenger ($200 for a family of four) each time you fly roundtrip.

 

[wdhinn89]

Cathay Pacific has 2 free pieces of luggage.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Airline Fee Chart at Expedia:

http://www.expedia.com/daily/flights/airline-fees.asp

There's a "U.S. Domestic" tab and an "International" tab. For most international flights, there is no fee for the first checked bag (and usually not for the 2nd bag either). However, U.S. carriers tend to treat travel between Canada and the United States the same as U.S. domestic.

 

[cruise cruise cruise]

Your first bag is checked for free on Delta and Delta Connection flights if you have a Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express. That's a $50 savings for one passenger ($200 for a family of four) each time you fly roundtrip.

If DH and I have a joint account and are flying with the kids- do all 4 of us get to check 1 bag free with our Delta SkyMiles Credit Card or just one bag for one person

 

[tinka-belle]

The first bag free with Delta is for Gold, Platinium, or Reserve AmEx Skymiles cardholders. It's one checked bag for everyone in your party provided they are all on the same reservation as the cardmember, up to nine passengers. If anyone is on a different reservation the free bag allowance will not apply, even if the reservations are linked. The primary cardholder is the one with the benefit and must be traveling.

Make sure the cardholder's Skymiles number is on the reservation! This is how it's tracked. I had no problem with RAC at Disney for our home trip either, they showed the baggage allowance on their system too so free checked bags home as well.

 

[jjj444]

For the free bags with Gold Amex card members did you have to pay for the tickets with that card? I put 3 tickets on another card and used skymiles to purchase my husbands ticket. So i am not sure with it being done this way that they are all on the same reservation? We applied for the amex card and just got it in the mail today and was hopong we could use it for checking our bags. Anyone know?