Which airline has free checked baggage?

Southwest Airlines is the only major US airline that includes 2 free checked bags for all passengers on every ticket — no status or credit card required. Other airlines (Delta, United, American, JetBlue, Alaska) charge $35 for the first bag unless you have airline status, an airline co-branded credit card, or are flying in a premium cabin.

Checked Baggage Fees: All US Airlines (2026)

Bag fees change frequently — these are current rates for standard routes as of 2026. Always verify on the airline's website before travel.

Airline	1st Bag	2nd Bag	Overweight (51–70 lb)	Free Bag?
Delta	$35	$45	$100	Comfort+ and above; SkyMiles credit card
United	$35	$45	$100	Premier status; United credit card
American	$35	$45	$100	AAdvantage Gold+; AA credit card
Southwest	$0	$0	$75	Yes — 2 bags always free for all passengers
JetBlue	$35	$45	$150	Mosaic status; Mint cabin
Alaska	$35	$45	$100	MVP status; Alaska credit card
Frontier	$45–$89	$49–$89	$75	Elite status (rare)
Spirit	$45–$89	$65–$89	$100	Free Spirit Gold status

Key Observations

Southwest is the outlier — 2 free checked bags for every passenger on every ticket. This is a major real cost difference vs. the majors.
Ultra-low cost carriers (Frontier, Spirit) are cheapest only if you travel carry-on only. Add a checked bag and the total cost often exceeds Delta/United/American.
Airline credit cards almost always waive the first bag fee — a $35–45 saving each way ($70–90 round-trip) easily justifies a $95/year airline card fee.
Overweight bags (51–70 lb): JetBlue is the most expensive at $150. Repack before the airport — split the heavy bag contents into a carry-on to avoid the fee.