Airline baggage fees are a tax on disorganization
Overweight bag at check-in: $100–$200. Extra bag: $75–$150. Oversized bag: $100–$200. These fees are pure profit for airlines and entirely avoidable with a luggage scale and a little pre-trip discipline. The calculator helps estimate your bag weight before you're standing at the counter with a panicked look.
2026 baggage weight rules (approximate)
- US domestic economy: carry-on 40 lbs, checked 50 lbs. Over: $100–$200.
- International economy (most): carry-on 22 lbs / 10 kg, checked 50 lbs / 23 kg.
- Business class international: usually 70 lbs / 32 kg checked, 2 bags included.
- Budget carriers (Ryanair, Wizz, Spirit, Frontier): strict — carry-on often 15–17 lbs, checked 40 lbs. Fees trigger fast.
Where weight hides
Shoes (2–3 lbs each pair). Toiletries in glass bottles. Books — e-readers save 3 lbs. Hair tools (straightener + dryer = 3 lbs). Jeans — linen weighs half as much. Travel pillow (0.5 lbs, often worth it). Empty bag itself: most checked bags are 7–10 lbs before you put anything in.
The 5-point packing system
One week of trip, one carry-on for everyone. 5 shirts, 2 bottoms, 1 layer, sleepwear, swimsuit, toiletries in 3oz bottles, chargers in one pouch, one dressier outfit. Weighs 18–24 lbs. Fits in Travelpro Maxlite 5 or Away The Bigger Carry-On. You'll look at people checking enormous bags and not understand.
Airline-by-airline 2026 baggage fee table
United domestic main cabin: first checked $35 online / $40 at airport, second $45/$50, 50 lb limit. Overweight 51–70 lb $100, 71–100 lb $200. Delta Main: first $35, second $45, 50 lb. Overweight fees identical to United. American Main: first $35, second $45, 50 lb, $100/$200 overweight. Southwest: still two free checked bags, 50 lb limit — but policy under review for 2026. JetBlue: first $35, second $45 (Blue Basic adds fees for carry-on). Alaska: $30 first, $40 second, 50 lb. Spirit: carry-on $45–$75 at booking, $65 at gate; checked $40–$85 depending on timing; 40 lb limit on checked. Frontier: similar to Spirit, with aggressive gate fees $99 if you didn't pre-pay. Allegiant: carry-on $20–$50, checked $25–$75, 40 lb. International economy standard: 23 kg (50 lb) checked free on most legacy carriers (United, Delta, AA, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, British Airways) for transatlantic and transpacific. Asia carriers (ANA, JAL, Singapore, Cathay) typically 2 × 23 kg free in economy. Ryanair: 10 kg cabin bag £12–£35, 20 kg checked £25–£60 depending on route. Wizz Air: similar to Ryanair. easyJet: 15 kg checked £25–£55. Premium credit cards that waive first bag fees: Delta Gold Amex, United Explorer, American AAdvantage Platinum — all waive first-checked for cardholder and up to 8 companions on same reservation.
Worked packing list: 14 days Europe in one carry-on
Bag: Away The Bigger Carry-On (22 × 14 × 9 inches, 7.8 lb empty). Clothes: 5 shirts (2 cotton tees 0.4 lb each, 2 merino tees 0.3 lb each, 1 button-down 0.6 lb), 2 bottoms (jeans 1.4 lb, linen pants 0.5 lb), 1 light jacket (0.8 lb), sleepwear (0.4 lb), 5 pairs underwear (0.5 lb), 5 pairs socks (0.3 lb), swimsuit (0.2 lb). Shoes: sneakers worn (2.2 lb on feet, not in bag), sandals (0.8 lb). Toiletries bag: 3oz bottles, toothbrush, razor, minimal (1.2 lb). Electronics: laptop in personal item (3.5 lb), charger + cables (0.6 lb), Kindle (0.4 lb), AirPods (0.2 lb). Misc: packing cubes (0.5 lb), reusable water bottle (0.3 lb), one dressier outfit (1.0 lb). Packed bag weight: approximately 18–20 lb total — comfortably under every airline's 22 lb cabin limit.
Weight-saving swaps that actually work
E-reader replaces books (saves 3–5 lb). Merino wool (Icebreaker, Smartwool) replaces cotton — dries overnight, doesn't stink, worn 3–4 times between washes. Travel-sized toiletries from LUSH solid shampoo bars (0.1 lb vs 1.5 lb for full bottles). Packable down jacket (Uniqlo Ultra Light Down, 0.5 lb) instead of winter coat. Quick-dry travel towel (0.3 lb). Minimal shoes — pick 2 pairs that cover all use cases; hiking boots only if you're actually hiking. Skip the travel pillow if you have a neck gaiter that doubles. Use hotel hair dryers (95% of mid-range hotels have them). Packing cubes organize but don't save weight — use them for organization, not for compression.
Carry-on dimension rules by airline
US major airlines (United, Delta, American, Alaska, JetBlue): 22 × 14 × 9 inches, including wheels and handles. Southwest: 24 × 16 × 10 inches — most generous in the US. International standard: 55 × 40 × 20 cm (21.6 × 15.7 × 7.9 inches) — slightly smaller than US. A US-sized 22-inch bag won't fit the strictest European cabin limits. Ryanair: 40 × 20 × 25 cm for the free “small bag”; 55 × 40 × 20 cm for the paid “priority” upgrade. Wizz Air: 40 × 30 × 20 cm free, 55 × 40 × 23 cm for fee. Budget European carriers actively measure and charge — a US carry-on that sails through JFK will be pulled aside at STN for a £50 gate fee.
FAQ on packing weight
How much does an empty Away carry-on weigh? Bigger Carry-On 7.8 lb, Carry-On 7.4 lb. Lighter options: Travelpro Maxlite 5 at 5.6 lb, Travelpro Platinum Elite at 8.4 lb. Can I bring a full water bottle through TSA? Empty then fill after security. Stanley 24oz empty 0.6 lb, saves buying $6 airport bottles. Are laptop chargers excluded from weight limits? No — everything in the bag counts. Does a personal item count toward weight? Most airlines don't weigh personal items (backpack, purse). Use it aggressively for heavy items — laptop, water bottle, shoes. What's the weight of typical packed shoes? Running shoes 1.8–2.5 lb per pair, dress shoes 1.5–2.0 lb, Allbirds 1.3 lb. Is duty-free carry-on exempt? Sealed STEB duty-free bags from international airports are exempt from liquids rules but still count toward cabin weight. What if my bag is 23 lb when the limit is 22? Put a 1-lb item into your personal bag, put your jacket on, or move dense items (book, shoes) into your laptop bag at the gate. Do gate agents weigh every bag? In the US, rarely at legacy carriers. In Europe on budget carriers, often. In Asia, yes on ANA and JAL but lenient on 1–2 lb over. Can I ship luggage ahead? Luggage Free, Ship Sticks deliver luggage door-to-door for $75–$275 per bag one-way — useful for golf clubs, skis, and multi-leg international itineraries.
Troubleshooting: you're over the limit at check-in
Five ways to fix it. One, move items into your personal item (rarely weighed). Two, wear heavy items — boots and jacket add 3–5 lb you can wear. Three, move items to your carry-on (which usually has a higher limit than checked for legacy airlines). Four, pay the overweight fee if it's under $100 and you can't shed the weight — it's sometimes cheaper than ditching gear. Five, check bag #2 if the second-bag fee is less than the overweight fee. At international airports (especially European budget carriers) gate agents will pressure you to abandon items at the counter — bring a spare duffel in your carry-on so you can quickly redistribute weight on the floor.
Gear-heavy trip patterns
Ski trips: skis and boots easily push checked bag to 55 lb. Ship ahead with Ski Butlers or Luggage Free ($75–$150) and skip the airline overweight drama entirely. Golf trips: same math — Ship Sticks charges $65–$120 per bag to most US destinations. Dive trips: BCD, regulator, fins easily add 20 lb to luggage. Rent gear in Thailand, Indonesia, the Caribbean for $30–$60/day vs $200+ of airline fees. Photography trips: camera body + 2–3 lenses in a padded backpack as personal item, leave bulky tripod checked or rent at destination. Backpacking/camping: check the camping pack (avoid carry-on with stove fuel or pepper spray which trigger TSA issues), keep electronics and documents in a daypack.
Related tools
Pair with the trip budget (baggage fees should be a line item), the lost luggage claim value, and the pet travel cost calculator if you're flying with an animal (different weight rules entirely).