{"id":48038,"date":"2026-02-21T05:26:31","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T05:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=48038"},"modified":"2026-02-21T05:26:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T05:26:33","slug":"checking-in-a-second-bag-could-now-cost-you-more-on-american-airlines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isafespend.com\/?p=48038","title":{"rendered":"Checking in a Second Bag Could Now Cost You More on American Airlines"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

It pays to\u00a0plan ahead\u00a0on American\u00a0Airlines\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0you\u00a0may\u00a0pay\u00a0extra if you\u00a0don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Customers who prepay\u00a0for checked luggage can\u00a0now\u00a0get a\u00a0$5 discount\u00a0on\u00a0their\u00a0first and second bags\u00a0for\u00a0domestic U.S. and select international\u00a0flights.\u00a0Prepayment is available\u00a0up\u00a0until\u00a02 hours before departure.<\/p>\n

However,\u00a0if\u00a0you wait to pay in person at the airport,\u00a0a\u00a0second\u00a0checked bag\u00a0will\u00a0now cost\u00a0you\u00a0more on\u00a0those same\u00a0itineraries.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0specifically\u00a0applies to\u00a0flights within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S.\u00a0territories\u00a0of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.<\/p>\n

It also applies to\u00a0flights\u00a0between the U.S. and Canada, the Caribbean (except Cuba and Haiti), Central America (except Panama), Guyana, and Mexico.<\/p>\n

If\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0flying\u00a0on American to any of those destinations, your\u00a0first\u00a0checked\u00a0bag will cost $35 if you prepay online\u00a0or\u00a0$40 if you pay at the airport.\u00a0No change there for paying in person.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s\u00a0different is the fee for\u00a0your second checked item.\u00a0It will\u00a0cost\u00a0$45 if you prepay online\u00a0and\u00a0$50 if you\u00a0pay\u00a0in person at the airport.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0a $5 increase from before.<\/p>\n

The change was rolled out amid a series of enhancements to the airline\u2019s digital platforms, which American says aim to streamline the travel experience and save customers\u00a0time and money on checked\u00a0luggage.<\/p>\n

Customers with AAdvantage or\u00a0oneworld\u00a0status, eligible\u00a0AAdvantage\u00a0credit cardholders, travelers booked in certain classes like Confirmed Domestic First, and active U.S. military service members and their families are eligible for waived baggage fees,\u00a0with\u00a0varying terms.<\/p>\n

Travelers on longer-haul international flights have\u00a0different baggage\u00a0terms, as well.\u00a0Details are available on\u00a0American Airlines\u2019 website.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Checking in a second bag could now cost you more on American Airlines<\/em><\/p>\n

Reporting by Eve Chen, USA TODAY \/ USA TODAY<\/em><\/p>\n

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It pays to\u00a0plan ahead\u00a0on American\u00a0Airlines\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0you\u00a0may\u00a0pay\u00a0extra if you\u00a0don\u2019t. Customers who prepay\u00a0for checked luggage can\u00a0now\u00a0get a\u00a0$5 discount\u00a0on\u00a0their\u00a0first and second bags\u00a0for\u00a0domestic U.S. and select international\u00a0flights.\u00a0Prepayment is available\u00a0up\u00a0until\u00a02 hours before departure. However,\u00a0if\u00a0you wait to pay in person at the airport,\u00a0a\u00a0second\u00a0checked bag\u00a0will\u00a0now cost\u00a0you\u00a0more on\u00a0those same\u00a0itineraries. This\u00a0specifically\u00a0applies to\u00a0flights within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S.\u00a0territories\u00a0of Puerto Rico and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[32],"class_list":{"0":"post-48038","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-make-money","8":"tag-featured"},"yoast_head":"\nChecking in a Second Bag Could Now Cost You More on American Airlines | iSafeSpend<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It pays to\u00a0plan ahead\u00a0on American\u00a0Airlines\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0you\u00a0may\u00a0pay\u00a0extra if you\u00a0don\u2019t. 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