If you travel at least once a year and like to check your bags, you’re better off paying the $95 annual fee for the AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard. For instance, the no-fee American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card doesn’t offer free checked bags. No annual fee credit cards are nice but don’t come with as many perks. If you upgrade to the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, the benefit increases to up to 8 additional passengers traveling on the same domestic American Airlines itinerary. The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® also offer a free checked bag for the cardholder and up to 4 additional passengers. You can check out our post on the best credit cards for American Airlines fliers. The benefits include one free checked bag for the cardholder on domestic American Airlines itineraries for the primary cardmember and up to 4 companions traveling with you on the same reservation.Ĭitibank offers multiple American Airlines co-branded consumer credit cards, plus an option for business owners. How to Avoid Baggage Fees on American AirlinesĪmerican Airlines offers credit cards from two banks: Barclays and Citibank (here are the best Citi credit cards).īarclays currently offers only one American credit card, the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®. Let’s take a look at what’s available to avoid baggage fees so we can compare. As you might’ve guessed, the cards that come with more perks are also going to come with higher annual fees. But not all co-branded credit cards are created equally. One of the best perks of an airline co-branded credit card is that you can usually check your bags for free. Airline Credit Cards That Offer Free Checked Bags However, if you aren’t loyal to one brand, you may want a flexible card instead, though you won’t get airline-specific perks. When you factor in benefits like free checked bags and priority boarding, it can make a lot of financial sense to keep a co-branded airline credit card to save hundreds of dollars each year by avoiding checked bag fees. Additionally, banks have continued to tighten their policies to make it harder to jump from card to card to card. Many travelers pick credit cards for their generous sign-up bonuses, but you only receive the bonus the first year. How To Avoid Baggage Fees With Credit Cards But there is a better way! Here’s how to avoid baggage fees with credit cards. Travelers are more focused than ever on carrying their luggage so they don’t have to give the airlines any more money than they have to. Airlines made a whopping $2.8 billion in baggage fees in 2020, regardless of the pandemic. One of the most universally hated aspects of traveling is having to pay baggage fees. For an explanation of our Advertising Disclosure, visit this page. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. That’s because bag fees are not taxed at the same 7.5 percent excise tax rate on airline tickets, according to the American Association of Airport Executives.Īs a result, the airport association contends the federal Airport and Airway Trust Fund lost more than $367 million in revenue last year, and a total of $2.9 billion since 2008.ĪAAE argues the tax code and the $4.50 cap on the passenger facility charge that travelers pay for each leg they fly should be updated “to reflect the airlines’ increased focus on bag fees and ancillary revenue.”Īirlines have objected to airports’ efforts to hike the passenger facility charge, saying it would raise the price of flying and that airports already have plenty of cash on hand.This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Southwest Airlines, the second-largest carrier at Hartsfield-Jackson and one that still allows two free checked bags, came in 10th out of 11 carriers in baggage fee revenue with $49.9 million in 2018.īaggage fees are one focus of a lobbying fight by an airport industry group pushing for an increase in federal fees charged to passengers to generate more funds for airport improvements and construction. Spirit and Frontier, which charge for both checked and carry-on bags, were in the No. Notably, Delta says it has added 1 million new American Express card members annually for the past two years. Holders of some Delta American Express gold, platinum and reserve cards can also check a first checked bag for free on Delta flights. For example, Delta waives bag fees for its Medallion-level frequent fliers. Delta made the move after United and JetBlue put in similar increases. Last September, Delta increased its checked baggage fees to $30 for a first checked bag and $40 for a second checked bag - up $5 from the previous fees.
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