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Airlines from Alaska to United have hiked checked bag fees. But there are ways to avoid the extra cost, as we mention below. Here are the new fees when flying Economy or Economy Plus (fees don't apply to Business/First Class passengers) and how to avoid them:
- First bag: $35
- Second bag: $45
- How to avoid checked bag fees: Mileage Plan MVP, Club 49 members in Alaska, active duty military members, Alaska Visa credit card holders
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- First bag: $35 if paid online; $40 at airport for domestic U.S. flights
- Second bag: $45
- How to avoid checked bag fees: AAdvantage Gold or higher status elites; oneworld Ruby or higher status elites; eligible AAdvantage Aviator and Citi AAdvantage card members
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- First bag: $35
- Second bag: $45
- How to avoid checked bag fees: Delta Medallion members; active duty military; eligible Delta SkyMiles AMEX card members
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United Airlines
- First bag: $40
- Second bag: $45 if paid online, $50 at airport
- How to avoid checked bag fees: MileagePlus Premier and higher elite members, active duty military, eligible United Chase credit card members
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Other Ways to Avoid Checked Bag Fees
1. Don't Check Any Luggage
Our top recommendation is to never check any luggage, if at all possible. With very few exceptions, we never never check a bag, which has many advantages in addition to avoiding checked bag fees:
- We can arrive to the airport later and depart from our arrival airport right away, without waiting for luggage
- If there are irregular operations, such as having to disembark the original aircraft and take a different one, or an unexpectedly short connection time due to our first flight arriving late, we don't have to worry about any checked luggage
- Along the same lines, we don't have to worry about late, damaged, stolen, or missing checked luggage
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2. Fly Southwest
We don't fly Southwest as we value having seat assignments, but Southwest doesn't charge for two pieces of checked luggage.
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