Delta Air Lines Baggage Fees – Forbes Advisor

As one of the largest airlines in the U.S., there’s a good chance that you’re going to be flying Delta Air Lines on your next vacation. If you plan on taking some luggage with you to your dream destination, knowing not only how much you’ll pay but also finding some ways to avoid those fees will save you money. Take a look at the rundown on Delta Air Lines’ baggage fees before you head to the airport.

How Much Are Delta Air Lines Baggage Fees?

The great news about Delta’s baggage fees is that there’s a very straightforward pricing model. The prices do vary based on which part of the world you’re heading to. Baggage fees are more expensive if you’re heading to South America, Asia, Europe or even Mexico rather than a domestic U.S. route.

No matter the destination, if you’re traveling on a Delta Main Cabin fare, you’ll get one free personal item and one free carry-on bag. A personal item is classified as a purse, briefcase, laptop bag, diaper bag or similar. Items that don’t count as a personal item and are always free to bring onboard are jackets, umbrellas, food and drink you bought at the airport, duty free merchandise, strollers, crutches and wheelchairs.

Your carry-on bag has size limitations, so be careful with how much you stuff in it. Your carry-on luggage can’t exceed a total of 45 linear inches, and individual measurements can’t exceed 22 inches by 14 inches by 9 inches. It’s important to note that if your bag is too large or the flight is too full you’ll need to check your bag.

Additionally, if the flight is full or you think your bag might be too large, feel free to ask the gate agent if they’re looking for volunteers to check bags. Oftentimes the airline will allow you to check your bag before you board, freeing up more time in the boarding process and allowing the airline to aim for a faster departure.

A quick note about Delta Basic Economy fares. While some airlines like United do not allow a carry-on bag for basic economy on domestic flights, Delta is an exception.

Domestic Delta Air Lines Baggage Fees

For most domestic flights as well as U.S. flights ending in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, you’ll pay $30 for your first checked bag and $40 for your second bag. This fee is per bag, per direction. In other words, if you fly from Raleigh (RDU) to Dallas (DFW) and connect in Atlanta (ATL), you don’t have to pay a separate fee for each leg of the trip.

International Delta Air Lines Baggage Fees

International flights are where a larger price difference comes into play with main cabin vs. basic economy fares.

If you’re heading to Mexico, your first bag will still be $30, but the second bag fee jumps from $40 up to $55.

For main-cabin fares, flights to Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Brazil, most of the Middle East and most of Central America come with the first bag free.

Flights from the U.S. to Asia get the first two bags for free on main-cabin fares, whether you’re heading to Seoul, Tokyo or beyond.

International Basic Economy Baggage Fees

If you’re looking to save on the cost of the ticket and purchase a basic economy fare, note that the baggage price structure does adjust for some destinations.

If you choose to fly in basic economy for flights to Europe, the first bag free goes away and will instead cost you $75. Flights to Asia still get you the first bag free, but the second bag will run you $100.

As a reminder, all those international flights come with your carry-on bag for free, so if you can travel light, you’re able to avoid a potential extra cost.

How Do I Avoid Paying Checked Baggage Fees With Delta?

If you’re looking to avoid paying checked baggage fees, you’re in luck—there are plenty of methods with Delta.

Through Credit Cards

Delta offers a wide mix of credit cards with its partner American Express that offer baggage fee waivers. The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers you a free first checked bag for you and up to eight travel companions traveling on the same reservation.

This means that a family of four can each have their first bag free, both directions, saving at a minimum of $60 on a round-trip, per passenger. The savings apply no matter if you’re flying on a basic economy ticket, a main-cabin ticket, or a comfort-plus ticket.

The annual fee on the credit card is only $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 (terms apply, see rates & fees), so with one round-trip ticket for you and a companion ($60 round-trip times two flights = $120 bag fees), you’re more than making up the cost of the annual fee.

The same benefits apply to the two higher premium cards offered by American Express, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. Each of the cards come with the same baggage benefit so no matter which you choose, you won’t pay those pesky fees.

Through Elite Status

Another way to avoid paying fees for bags on Delta is to get Medallion status. Even the lowest level of status, Silver Medallion, comes with a first bag for free on Delta flights. You can achieve Silver Medallion status by flying 25,000 miles and spending at least $3,000 in flights every year.

Flying First Class

Lastly, consider flying first class if you’ve got extra heavy bags or more than one bag. Travelers who fly in first class get two free bags on every reservation and those bags can weigh up to 70 pounds each. The most your bags can weigh without paying an extra fee in any economy cabin is 50 pounds.

Often the difference between a main cabin and first-class fare is less than the cost to pay for your luggage. In the below example the cost to move from the main cabin to first class is only $110. If you have overweight bags, you will save money by flying in first class.

If your bag weighs even so much as 51 pounds, only one pound over the Delta Main Cabin limit, you could be subjected to an extra $100 fee each way. The cost to upgrade to first class might well be worth it and you’re flying up front in comfort as well.

Where Can I Find Information About Delta’s Baggage Fees?

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed and confused by the myriad options of destinations, classes of service, credit cards and more, Delta has created a handy guide for you to know exactly what you can expect to pay.

It’s called the Baggage Estimator and you simply insert your origin, destination, class of service, date of travel and your SkyMiles status or which American Express credit card you have. Delta’s system will kick out a report to let you know what you can expect to pay for your flight.

Don’t Forget About Delta’s Baggage Guarantee

Delta offers an on-time baggage guarantee for all passengers on their domestic flights. If you decide to check a bag, and those bags come out to the baggage carousel more than 20 minutes after your arrival at the gate, Delta will give you 2,500 miles for each passenger on the reservation. Simply fill out the form up to three days after you arrive, and the miles will be automatically posted to your account.

If you did pay for your bag and it arrived late, receiving 2,500 SkyMiles for the tardiness takes the sting off a bit from the fee you have to pay.

Bottom Line

While it’s a pain to pay fees, the great news is that Delta is quite generous with giving its customers ways to avoid paying them.

Whether you decide to sign up for one of its various credit cards, fly up in first class or earn status with the SkyMiles program, it’s a good chance that you’re going to find a way to avoid those baggage fees moving forward.

To view rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card please visit this page.