It’s frustrating trying to be #TeamCarryOn and make sure you board in time to get your bag in an overhead bin, right? Sometimes, it’s just easier to check a bag. And the airline would certainly benefit from quicker boarding if it didn’t charge to check bags.
So of course American Airlines went the other way and raised the fees to check a bag starting with tickets purchased today.
Domestic flights will now cost you $40 to check one single bag (it was $30 before – inflation, right??)
Short-haul international flights that were also $30 jumped less, to $35. Think Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean, primarily.
If you ticketed by yesterday, old fees apply and you can save $5 by paying to check online (web or app) starting 24 hours before your flight.
Of course, often times due to the limited overhead bin space they’ll offer to check a bag free at the gate, so depending on the bag size you could always gamble.
Or you could grab an American Airlines credit card that waives checked bag fees (number of people it waives for varies by card).
Thoughts?
Let me know below in the comments, on Twitter, or in the private MilesTalk Facebook group. And don't forget to follow me on Instagram for all sorts of tips on miles, points, credit cards, and travel.
If this post helped you, please consider sharing it!
You can find credit cards that best match your spending habits and bonus categories at Your Best Credit Cards.
New to all of this? My “introduction to miles and points” book, MilesTalk: Live Your Wildest Travel Dreams Using Miles and Points is available on Amazon and at major booksellers.
