What airline fees cost in 2026: bags, seats and changes
Updated October 21, 2026. Fees as of Oct 21, 2026, checked 14:04–14:12 UTC on each airline's own site. Domestic U.S. flights, economy, one way, per person. Fees depend on when you bought your ticket, so check the airline before you book. Where an airline only shows a calculator, we say so instead of guessing a number.
Airline fees at a glance
| Airline | 1st checked bag | 2nd checked bag | Carry-on | Seat selection | Change / cancel | Official source (checked) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United | From $45 prepaid, $50 in the airport lobby, $75 at the gate (tickets bought on or after Apr 3, 2026, per United's Basic Economy page). Your exact fee varies: see the airline's calculator | Varies, see the airline's calculator | Economy: 1 carry-on (9 x 14 x 22 in) and 1 personal item free. Basic Economy: 1 personal item (9 x 10 x 17 in) on most flights; a carry-on must be checked for a fee | Preferred seats from $24 per flight (standard Economy) or from $136 (Basic Economy); Basic Economy seat assignment from $15 per flight; Economy Plus $29–$299 per flight | Economy: change fees waived on domestic flights (fare difference applies). Basic Economy: no changes unless you upgrade first | united.com (Oct 21, 2026, 14:05–14:10 UTC) |
| American | $50, or $45 if you pay online (tickets issued on or after Apr 9, 2026). Basic Economy: $55, or $50 online (on or after May 18, 2026) | $60, or $55 online. Basic Economy pays $5 more | 1 carry-on (22 x 14 x 9 in) and 1 personal item (18 x 14 x 8 in), Basic Economy included | Preferred Seats $4–$139 per flight; Main Cabin Extra $20–$280. Basic Economy: pick a seat for a fee, or get one free at check-in | $0 change fee for travel beginning in North or South America. Basic Economy: no changes; AAdvantage members can cancel for travel credit minus a $99 fee (48 contiguous states) | aa.com (Oct 21, 2026, 14:08–14:09 UTC) |
| Delta | $45 (Delta Main and Comfort, domestic, tickets bought on or after Apr 8, 2026) | $55 | 1 carry-on (22 x 14 x 9 in) and 1 personal item free for each passenger | Unverified: Delta's seat page returned a "page not found" error on Oct 21, 2026. See the seat map when you book | Classic, Extra and Refundable tickets from the U.S. and Canada: free. Delta Main Basic and Comfort Basic: $99 (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America) | delta.com (Oct 21, 2026, 14:04 UTC) |
| Southwest | $45 on Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares (booked or changed on or after Apr 9, 2026). Choice Extra: free | $55. Choice Extra: free | 1 carry-on (10 x 16 x 24 in) and 1 personal item free on all fares | Paid seat upgrades $4–$250 per segment | $0 change fee, $0 cancel fee. Choice fares pay any fare difference; Basic fares must be upgraded to change | southwest.com (Oct 21, 2026, 14:04 UTC) |
| Frontier | Varies, see the airline's calculator (Bag Price Checker). Max 40 lb; 41–50 lb adds $75 | Varies, see the airline's calculator | 1 personal item (8 x 18 x 14 in) included. Carry-on (max 10 x 16 x 24 in, 35 lb): varies, see the airline's calculator | From $15 per segment | Basic/Standard fares booked on or after Sep 25, 2026: $0 to change 60+ days out, $149 at 59 days or less; $149 to cancel. Bundles and Economy fares: $0 | flyfrontier.com (Oct 21, 2026, 14:10 UTC) |
| Spirit | Not flying. Spirit says it started winding down all operations on May 2, 2026 and that all flights have been cancelled. No current fees to list. | Spirit (archived Sep 6, 2026) (read Oct 21, 2026, 14:12 UTC) | ||||
Fees as of Oct 21, 2026; check the airline before you book. Links are plain links, not affiliate links. Cardmember, elite-status and military exceptions are listed on each airline's page.
2026 bag fee increases by airline
- United: its checked-bags page says bag fees for domestic flights "increased for tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026." Its Basic Economy page lists bag fees starting at $35 prepaid, $40 in the lobby and $65 at the gate for tickets bought before April 3, 2026, and $45, $50 and $75 on or after that date (United checked bags, United Basic Economy; checked Oct 21, 2026, 14:10 UTC).
- Delta: its previous-fees page says tickets bought before April 8, 2026 had lower fees; it "increased fees for the 1st bag from $35 to $45" and the 2nd bag from $45 to $55 within the U.S. (Delta previous baggage fees; checked Oct 21, 2026, 14:04 UTC).
- American: its fee chart shows $50 ($45 online) for tickets issued on or after April 9, 2026, and $40 ($35 online) on or before April 8, 2026, within the U.S. Basic Economy is $55 ($50 online) for tickets issued on or after May 18, 2026 (American optional service fees; checked Oct 21, 2026, 14:09 UTC).
- Southwest: its fee page shows $35 / $45 for the first and second bag on U.S. mainland travel booked and ticketed before April 9, 2026, and $45 / $55 on or after April 9, 2026 (Southwest travel fees; checked Oct 21, 2026, 14:04 UTC).
- Frontier: bags of 51–99.99 pounds cost $129 per bag for bookings made on or after April 4, 2026, up from $100 (Frontier optional services; checked Oct 21, 2026, 14:10 UTC).
Basic economy: what you give up
- United Basic Economy: one personal item on most flights (no full-size carry-on), and United says "we choose your seat." You can't change the flight; if you cancel after 24 hours, United gives a partial travel credit (united.com; Oct 21, 2026).
- American Basic Economy: a carry-on and a personal item are included. Tickets can't be changed, with some exceptions, and checked bags cost $5 more than Main Cabin (aa.com; Oct 21, 2026).
- Delta Main Basic: Delta's carry-on page says each passenger can bring 1 carry-on and 1 personal item free. Changes or cancellations cost $99 for travel from the U.S. to the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America (delta.com; Oct 21, 2026).
- Southwest Basic: same free carry-on and bag prices as Choice, but you must upgrade the fare to change it (southwest.com; Oct 21, 2026).
- Frontier: one personal item is included; carry-on and checked bags are priced by route and date in Frontier's Bag Price Checker (flyfrontier.com; Oct 21, 2026).
Seat fees, in each airline's words
United: "A preferred seat is a regular United Economy seat that's closer to the front of the plane... Extra legroom is not included." United says "Prices vary based on the route" (United preferred seating). Its optional-services page lists preferred seating "From $24 per flight per person for standard Economy tickets" and "From $136 per flight per person for Basic Economy tickets," Basic Economy advance seat assignments "Starting at $15 per flight per person," and Economy Plus "From $29 to $299" per flight per person (United optional services). Checked Oct 21, 2026, 14:10 UTC.
American: Preferred Seats $4–$139 per flight ("price varies by flight") and Main Cabin Extra $20–$280 (aa.com; Oct 21, 2026, 14:09 UTC). Southwest: paid seat upgrades $4–$250 per segment, per customer (southwest.com; Oct 21, 2026, 14:04 UTC). Frontier: seats from $15 per passenger, per flight segment (flyfrontier.com; Oct 21, 2026, 14:10 UTC). Delta: Unverified: seat prices; its seat page wasn't available when we checked.
What happened to Spirit?
Spirit's own restructuring site said: "It is with great disappointment that on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately. To our Guests: all flights have been cancelled, and customer service is no longer available." (archived copy of Spirit's site, Sep 6, 2026). The page points customers to its claims agent, Epiq (dm.epiq11.com/SpiritAirlines).
spirit.com and spiritrestructuring.com didn't load when we tried them on Oct 21, 2026 (14:04–14:09 UTC), so this comes from the archived copy, read Oct 21, 2026, 14:12 UTC. We don't list any Spirit fees.
How much airlines make from fees
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reports fee revenue for U.S. scheduled passenger airlines. Figures are as BTS rounds them.
| Period | Baggage fees | Reservation change fees | BTS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (full year) | $7.4 billion | $1.1 billion | May 12, 2026 |
| 2nd quarter 2026 | $2.1 billion | $309 million | Sep 15, 2026 |
BTS pages read Oct 21, 2026, 14:12 UTC.
Ways to pay less
- Pay ahead: United lists bag fees from $45 prepaid versus $50 in the lobby and $75 at the gate. American takes $5 off the 1st and 2nd checked bag when you pay online (Oct 21, 2026).
- Check your card or status: Delta says Medallion members and eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express cardmembers check their first standard bag free; Southwest lists the first checked bag free for Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers; United lets MileagePlus Premier members and eligible cardmembers bring a carry-on in Basic Economy. Each airline sets its own terms (Oct 21, 2026).
- Pack to the personal-item size: United 9 x 10 x 17 in, American 18 x 14 x 8 in, Frontier 8 x 18 x 14 in, per each airline's page (Oct 21, 2026).
- Compare total trip cost: a cheaper fare can cost more once bags and seats are added. Fees change with your ticket date, so check before you book.
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FAQ
How much is a checked bag on United in 2026?
United's Basic Economy page (checked Oct 21, 2026) says that for tickets bought on or after April 3, 2026, bag fees start at $45 if you prepay, $50 in the airport lobby and $75 at the gate. United doesn't list one fixed fee for every trip: the exact amount varies, so see United's baggage fee calculator.
Does Basic Economy include a carry-on bag?
It depends on the airline (checked Oct 21, 2026). United: no, on most flights Basic Economy includes one personal item only, and a carry-on has to be checked for a fee. American: yes, 1 carry-on and 1 personal item. Delta: its carry-on page says each passenger can bring 1 carry-on and 1 personal item free. Southwest: a carry-on and a personal item are free on all fares. Frontier: one personal item is included; a carry-on costs extra on its standard fares (price varies, see Frontier's Bag Price Checker).
What is a United preferred seat, and how much does it cost?
United says a preferred seat is a regular United Economy seat closer to the front of the plane, and that extra legroom is not included. Its optional-services page (checked Oct 21, 2026) lists preferred seating from $24 per flight per person on standard Economy tickets and from $136 per flight per person on Basic Economy tickets. United says prices vary by route.
Does Southwest charge for checked bags now?
Yes. Southwest's fee page (checked Oct 21, 2026) shows $45 for the first checked bag and $55 for the second on Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares booked and ticketed, or changed, on or after April 9, 2026. Choice Extra fares include both bags free, and the page lists other exceptions such as Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers (first bag free) and A-List members.
Which airlines don't charge change fees?
As of Oct 21, 2026, per each airline's own site: United waives change fees on Economy tickets for domestic flights; American shows a $0 change fee for travel beginning in North or South America; Delta shows no change fee on Classic, Extra and Refundable tickets from the U.S. and Canada; Southwest shows a $0 change fee and $0 cancel fee. You still pay any fare difference. Basic fares are the exception: United and American Basic Economy can't be changed, Delta Main Basic changes cost $99 within the U.S., and Southwest Basic fares must be upgraded first.
Is Spirit Airlines still flying?
No. Spirit's own restructuring site said on May 2, 2026 that Spirit started an orderly wind-down of operations, that all flights have been cancelled and that customer service is no longer available (archived copy dated Sep 6, 2026, read Oct 21, 2026). There are no current Spirit fees to list.
How much do U.S. airlines make from bag fees?
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported $7.4 billion in baggage fees and $1.1 billion in reservation change fees for U.S. scheduled passenger airlines in 2025 (release of May 12, 2026), and $2.1 billion in baggage fees in the second quarter of 2026 (release of Sep 15, 2026).
Sources
All read Oct 21, 2026 (UTC): United Basic Economy, United checked bags, United baggage, United optional services, United preferred seating, United flexible booking (14:05–14:10); American checked bags, American carry-on, American Basic Economy, American optional service fees (14:08–14:09); Delta baggage, Delta previous baggage fees, Delta carry-on (14:04); Southwest travel fees (14:04); Frontier optional services (14:10); Spirit, archived Sep 6, 2026 (14:12); BTS 2025 and BTS 2Q 2026 (14:12).