American Airlines Updates Bag Fees and Basic Economy Fares

American Airlines Adjusts Bag Fees Across Fare Types

American Airlines has introduced changes to its checked baggage fees and updated the structure of its Basic Economy fares following an internal pricing review.

For tickets booked on or after 9 April, passengers travelling on domestic routes within the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as Canada and short-haul international routes, will pay $50 for the first checked bag, $60 for the second and $200 for the third when purchased at the airport. Customers who prepay online or via the airline’s mobile app will receive a $5 discount on the first and second checked bags.

Changes have also been made to Basic Economy fares. For tickets purchased from 18 May onwards, passengers travelling on domestic Basic Economy tickets will be charged $55 for the first checked bag and $65 for the second. Prepaid rates will be slightly lower, at $50 and $60, respectively.

For select South America routes, Basic Economy passengers will be charged $70 for the first checked bag for tickets purchased from 9 April, with additional markets included from 18 May. Fees for the second and third checked bags vary by route.

The airline has confirmed that AAdvantage status members will continue to receive complimentary checked baggage allowances. In addition, most AAdvantage credit card holders will retain access to one free checked bag on eligible domestic itineraries.

Passengers travelling in premium cabins will continue to receive complimentary baggage allowances on both domestic and international flights. The same applies to active-duty U.S. military personnel travelling on American Airlines services.

The revised fees apply to tickets purchased after the specified dates, while previous baggage policies remain in place for earlier bookings.