I-Journey

Checking a bag has never cost more. In April, nearly every major U.S. carrier raised checked baggage fees within the same week: United added $10 to its first- and second-bag fees and $50 to third-bag charges in most markets, Delta and American followed with their own increases days later, and most major airlines now charge around $45 for a first bag and $55 for a second on domestic routes.

Southwest’s shift has been the most dramatic. The airline ended its 54-year-old “Bags Fly Free” policy in May 2025, and less than a year later raised its new checked-bag fees by another $10 in the April round of increases — meaning Southwest has already hiked bag fees twice since introducing them.

Airlines have pointed to surging jet fuel costs tied to the conflict in Iran as a driver of the increases, and dynamic baggage pricing — once mostly a budget-carrier tactic — is now standard across most major U.S. airlines. The practical move for travelers: check your airline’s current fee before you fly, since prices have shifted more than once this year.

Sources: Newsweek, TravelPirates