Cheapest Airline for My Bags Calculator

How the airline ranking works

The tool prices the same set of bags on every airline in our data and sorts the totals from lowest to highest. Each total includes the checked bag fees, any overweight or oversize surcharge and, on a basic fare, a carry-on fee where the airline charges one. Fee data is as of 2026-09-30. Spirit Airlines ceased operations on 2026-05-02 and is not listed.

An airline is only ranked when it publishes every fee your bags need. If your bag weighs 45 lb, a missing overweight fee does not matter, so that airline stays in the list. If your bag weighs 60 lb and the airline lists no fee for that band, it moves to the skipped list with the reason. A value marked not published means the airline does not list a fixed figure we could verify. The tools skip that airline for that check instead of guessing.

Check the result against your own trip. For two checked bags, international carriers that include the first bag can look cheap, but the second bag can cost $75 to $200. With one checked bag under 50 lb, the low-cost US carriers that list fixed prices often win. A bag over the limit changes the order, because overweight fees range from $50 to $285 in our table. Open an airline page such as Delta or JetBlue for the details behind the number.

Bag fees are only part of a fare. A low ticket with high bag fees can cost more than a higher fare with a bag included, so add the bag total to the ticket price before you buy. To see one airline in full, use the total bag cost calculator. To test a bag against the size limits, use the does my bag fit finder.

Where these numbers come from

The formulas and default values in this calculator are based on:

• American Airlines checked bag fees and policies
• Delta baggage policy and fees
• JetBlue optional services and fees
• Southwest optional travel charges
• Frontier bag options
• Adventure Calcs airline hub pages (as of 2026-09-30). Note: airlines change bag fees often and some publish ranges
• confirm the price at checkout before you pay

This is a planning estimate, not medical, legal or immigration advice. Fees, allowances, limits and entry rules change, so confirm the figures with your airline, cruise line, customs agency or the official government source before you book or travel, and follow their rules if they differ from this page.