Your Ultimate Guide to AVOIDING Extra Airline Fees

When it comes to flying, the fees can add up quickly. It’s important to do you research ahead of time so you aren’t surprised by any fees at the airport. Plus, it never hurts to have some extra cash for souvenirs! (Yes, you do need another popcorn bucket.)

This guide will help you make sense of the guidelines and regulations surrounding baggage for some of the most commonly flown airlines.

Extra Fees

Did you know that not every airline allows you to bring a carry-on item for free or pick your seat for free? It can be frustrating when you feel like the airlines are nickel and diming you while you are just trying to enjoy a little getaway.

These are the most commonly seen extra costs you might encounter on your next trip:

• Checked bag fee – Often when you are flying domestically you will have to pay for any checked bags. This might not be one flat rate for all of your bags; the more you have the more it will cost you.
• Overweight/oversize limit – Heavier bags will also cost you extra as more weight means more fuel usage.
  • Tip: Packing everything in 2 bags to avoid the extra cost of excess weight and size limits may be a better choice than packing it all in one huge bag- compare the differences in price for your airline.
• Picking your seat – Love an aisle or window seat? This may be a luxury that could cost you! For some airlines if you want to avoid paying this fee you will just be assigned a seat at random.
• More leg room – Whether you are tall or just prefer to have some extra space, you’re going to pay extra to sit in these areas.
• Bigger seat – Some airplanes have different seat sizes, and bigger seats can be an upcharge.
• In-flight Wifi -Need to work while flying? That could cost you. Hopefully that’s an reimbursable expense!

Paying for some of these fees may be worth it to you. If you are traveling with your little one and they are under 2 years old, paying for an upgraded seat may be better to give you more room instead of paying for an extra seat that your little one will not sit in anyways.

For other information when it comes to flying with your little guy, check out our other articles:

• Everything You Need to Know About Flying With a Baby
• Our Favorite Must-Haves for Flying With a Baby

Comparisons for Domestic Travel Baggage Costs 

While every airline has its own regulations for luggage dimensions, you will find that many have similar rules. Below are the size limits, weight limits, and fees for your luggage across some of the most popular airlines that service Orlando airport. Check out this chart for the basics:

 

Airline	Carry-on item(s)	Carry on fee	Carry-on size limit	1st Checked Bag Fee	2nd Checked Bag Fee	3rd Checked Bag Fee	4th Checked Bag Fee	Checked Bag Size Limit	Overweight Fee
American	1 carry on & 1 personal item (such as purse or laptop	Free	Shouldn’t exceed 22” x 14” x 9”  Can also take soft-sided garment bags up to 51”	$30 each way	$40 Each way	$150 Each Way	$200 Each way – up to 10 bags	Dimensions cannot exceed 62” when combining length, width, and height Up to 50lbs	51-70lbs $100 71-100lbs $200 Bags over 100lbs  are not permitted 63’-126” $200 Bags over 126” not permitted
Delta	1 carry on & 1 personal item (such as purse or laptop)	Free	22” x 14” x 9” No weight specifications*	$30 Each Way	$40 Each Way	$150 Each Way	$200 Each way – up to 10 bags	Baggage size must not exceed 62 inches (158 cm) when you total LENGTH + WIDTH + HEIGHT Weigh under 50lbs	51-70lbs $100 71-100lbs $200 Bags over 100lbs are not permitted  63”-80” $200 Bags larger than 80” not permitted
Southwest	1 carry on & 1 personal item (such as purse or laptop)	Free	no bigger than 24” x 16” x 10”	FREE	FREE	$75 each way	$75 each way	No larger than 62”  Weigh under 50lbs	More than 50 up to 100lbs $75 More than 62” and up to 80” $75  OVer 100lbs and larger than 80” are not permitted
Spirit	1 personal item	Prices fluctuate depending on destination flight time and when you pay for your bag can start around $40	No bigger than 18″x14″x8″ for free items	Varies depending on destination, flight time, and when you pay for your bag.	Varies depending on destination, flight time, and when you pay for your bag.	Varies depending on destination, flight time, and when you pay for your bag.	Varies depending on destination, flight time, and when you pay for your bag.	No larger than 62” Weigh up to 40lbs	From 41-50lbs $59 51-100lbs $99 63-80” $100
United	Basic economy fare: 1 personal item  All others: 1 personal item and 1 carry-on item	Free	No larger than 9” x 14” x 22”	Varies. Generally $35 for domestic flights each way Can save $5 if prepay	Varies. Generally $45 for domestic flights each way Can save $5 if prepay	$150	$150	No larger than 62”  United Economy and Premium Economy: up to 50lbs United Business and United First: up to 70lbs	51-70lbs $100 71-100bs $200 63” – 115” $200

*Some carry-on items are restricted in weight when traveling to specific destinations. Check with the airline ahead of time to ensure proper planning. 

*Delta Carry-On Policy

*Delta Checked Baggage Policy

*Delta Excess and Oversized Baggage Policy

Additional Baggage Information

Spirit Airlines

Spirit’s carry-on bags can be more expensive than checking a bag! When doing a test booking, we found a relatively cheap flight from ATL to MCO for $137.18, but that price only includes a personal item and no seat selection. There were 2 options to upgrade for $56 each way which allows you to pick your seat in standard seating, claim a checked bag, and use early boarding; that raises the cost an additional $112 bringing your total to $249.18. The other option to upgrade would cost you $91 each way and allows you to pick your seat (including the exit row), a carry-on bag (plus the already free personal item), an additional 10lbs of weight for your checked bag, early boarding, and the option to change your flight for free (changes in fare rates may apply); this options raises your total to $319.18.

This pricing only applies while booking online; if you wait until you arrive at the airport to upgrade, you will most likely pay more. Again as the chart above indicates, prices can fluctuate depending on your destination, time of flight, and when you pay for the extra items. Another point to note about Spirit is that the weight limit for checked bags is only 40lbs; most other airlines go up to 50lbs.  Spirit may have a really low fare price, but if you are traveling with baggage other than your purse or small laptop bag, it may actually be cheaper to fly with another airline. 

You can get an estimate of additional baggage costs with Spirit using the Spirit Bag-O-Tron. https://www.spirit.com/optional-services

United Airlines

United Airlines can be another complicated one when it comes to baggage fees. For example, if you are flying basic economy class, you can only bring one personal item to carry-on the flight. If you assume you can bring the standard, 1 personal item and 1 carry-on item, you will be charged an additional $25 and whatever the going rate for a checked bag fee is. United’s fees can fluctuate depending on destination, weight, and what class of ticket is purchased. Generally for economy class flights, it costs $35 for the first checked bag and $45 with a 50lb weight limit each way. The business and first class are free for the first 2 bags with a weight limit up to 70lbs each way. Not only can these fees add up, when testing the same flight from ATL to MCO, the fare was extremely higher even for the economy class at $804.20 and to upgrade to the first class to get free baggage the cost went up to $1407.20, which is over $600 of an increase. It would probably be best to book economy and pay for baggage if you were booking with United, unless you really wanted to sit in first class!

Southwest

On the other side of things, Southwest offers great rates and freebies! When test booking the same flight and timeframe from ATL to MCO, for the anytime classification, the fare was $358.96, which was a refundable rate with no fees to cancel or change; this rate also included 2 free checked bags, up to 50lbs each and up to 62” in dimension. Southwest allows you to choose your seat upon boarding the plane. Once you check-in for your flight, you will be assigned a boarding section (A, B, or C) and a number position within that section. For example, you may receive B27. This means you will board with group B and be in the 27th position. The positions are a first come first serve basis and you check in up to 24 hours before your flight time. There are early bird check-in options which allows you to check-in 36 hours before your flight; this option was actually included in the Anytime rate we tested. To guarantee a boarding pass with positions A1-A15, you can pay for the business select class. For our test booking, this costs an additional $40 each way, bringing the total to $438.96. Added bonus of the business select is a free premium drink on your flight! If seating is high on your priority list, this may be a good option for you. Plus who doesn’t like a free drink?

For people traveling domestically with any sort of baggage, carry-on or checked items, Southwest flights may be the best option. Their carry-on size is slightly larger than other major airlines, and the first 2 bags are checked for free, always for everyone. You also get in-flight entertainment for free with movies and on-demand tv shows. Their fares are super reasonable and there aren’t crazy added costs. So pack all of those Mickey ears you want and don’t worry about paying extra for being extra because it is free! 

Other Ways to Save Money

Another option that can help you save when flying is signing up for a membership and credit cards. Some frequent flyer programs or airline credit cards come with perks that can cut down costs when traveling. However, keep in mind that these can come with monthly and yearly fees. If you aren’t a frequent flyer, these may not be the best options. 

Certain airlines have hub airports and the fares may be cheaper for certain destinations. Be sure to check fare pricing and see if there are any specials running with specific airlines. Remember, you may find an amazing deal on a flight, but make sure you read the fine print and know what extra costs you could end up paying. 

Ultimately, prioritize what is important to you! Do you want to be able to pick your seat ahead of time, do you want to be able to just use carry-on items and not have to worry about waiting for your baggage to come out at baggage claim, do you want a bigger seat, do you need in-flight entertainment? It is possible to have all the things you want in a flight and you may not have to pay premium prices for it. We hope our research helps you with planning your next flight! 

Ready to book your flight? Head over to Expedia to find the perfect trip to get you to the parks!

Looking at flights but not sold on a resort yet? Check out our cheat sheet below that covers the Monorail resorts!

What are your tips for navigating the confusing world of baggage? Let us know in the comments!

Post a Comment