What a carry-on bag costs you on 9 major airlines

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Free

Alaska’s carry-on baggage policy says that “when traveling with us, you’re allowed one carry-on bag plus one personal item.”

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

Free

American’s carry-on policy says that each passenger gets “1 personal item and 1 carry-on” free of charge.

Free

Southwest’s carry-on policy says that passengers “may bring one carryon bag and one personal item without charge.”

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.”