What a carry-on bag costs you on 9 major airlines
Sometimes it's nothing, sometimes it can be the price of a tank of gas — or two
Flying can be stressful and expensive. But besides the price of the ticket, there are lots of other fees that can pop up and add to the cost of a flight. And though it used to be a common assumption that you could get away with skipping the checked-bag fee if you packed everything in a carry-on, that’s not always the case. Some carriers charge for those, too. Making matters worse, a carry-on might cost you more depending on when you let certain airlines know that you’re bringing one.
Click through to see the carry-on fees that different U.S. airlines charge their passengers.
2 / 10
Hawaiian Airlines
Free
Hawaiian’s carry-on baggage rule says that “you are limited to one (1) carry-on bag and one (1) personal item on any flights that we operate.”
3 / 10
Frontier
It depends.
Frontier charges a fee for carry-ons, and that fee goes up the closer you get to takeoff. For instance, a flight departing from Charlotte, North Carolina for Los Angeles on July 16 (checked July 3) has the follow fee schedule for carry-ons:
🧳 $62 if a carry-on is confirmed when the ticket is purchased
🧳 $72 if a carry-on is confirmed when a passenger checks in for their flight via web or app
🧳 $79 if a carry-on is confirmed if a passenger checks in at the ticket counter the day of the flight
🧳 $99 if a carry-on is confirmed at the departure gate
The prices can change at any time and can also change from flight to flight. There are some exceptions:
🛄 Passengers with Elite Gold, Platinum, or Diamond frequent-flyer status can bring a carry-on bag for free.
🛄 Passengers flying on a Elite Diamond member’s booking can bring a carry-on bag for free.
🛄 Active duty military passengers can bring a carry-on bag for free.
🛄 Business travelers who book through a travel agent can get a special fare that allows for free carry-ons.
🛄 The airline sometimes has coupons for free carry-ons, as well.
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JetBlue Airways
Free (soon)
Until Sept. 6, all JetBlue passengers fly with a free carry-on except for its budget Blue Basic fares according to the company’s policy. Those tickets will have to pay a $65 fee. But the carrier just announced that Blue Basic customers will get free carry-ons for flights departing after Sept. 6.
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Spirit Airlines
It depends
Spirit charges a fee for carry-ons, and that fee goes up the closer you get to takeoff. For instance, a flight departing from Charlotte, North Carolina for Los Angeles on July 16 (checked July 3) has the follow fee schedule for carry-ons:
🧳 $50 if a carry-on is confirmed when a ticket is booked
🧳 $60 if a carry-on is confirmed when a passenger checks in via web or app
🧳 $79 if a carry-on is confirmed at the airport
The prices can change at any time and can also change from flight to flight.
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Alaska Airlines
Free
Alaska’s carry-on baggage policy says that “when traveling with us, you’re allowed one carry-on bag plus one personal item.”
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United Airlines
Free (mostly)
United’s carry-on policy says that “you can bring one carry-on bag and one personal item for free on most domestic and international flights.”
Passengers flying under the carrier’s budget Basic Economy fare, on the other hand, have to pay a bag fee for carry-ons that varies from trip to trip. For instance, a flight departing from Charlotte, North Carolina for Los Angeles on July 16 (checked July 3) has the follow fee schedule for carry-ons:
🧳 $35 if a carry-on is confirmed at least 24 hours before the flight
🧳 $40 if a carry-on is confirmed less than 24 hours before a flight
🧳 $65 if a carry-on is confirmed at the departure gate
8 / 10
American Airlines
Free
American’s carry-on policy says that each passenger gets “1 personal item and 1 carry-on” free of charge.
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Southwest Airlines
Free
Southwest’s carry-on policy says that passengers “may bring one carryon bag and one personal item without charge.”
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Delta Air Lines
Free
Delta’s carry-on policy says that “each passenger flying with Delta can bring 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal item free of charge.”