Checked bag policy
How many bags can you take?
Check up to 10 bags on American Airlines operated flights if your trip is:
- Domestic
- Transatlantic
- Transpacific
Check up to 5 bags on American-operated flights if you’re traveling to / through / from:
- Mexico / Caribbean / Central America*
- South America*
- Brazil*
*There are seasonal and year-round bag restrictions
We calculate the size limits of your bag by adding the total outside dimensions of each bag, length + width + height.
For all regions, except to / from Australia or New Zealand, your checked bag allowance is:
- Dimension: 62 in / 158 cm
- Weight: 50 lbs / 23 kgs
- For First / Business, weight is 70 lbs / 32 kgs for free bags and 50 lbs / 23 kgs for excess charged bags
For all confirmed customers on flights to / from Australia or New Zealand:
- Dimension: 62 in / 158 cm
- Weight: 70 lbs / 32kgs for free bags and 50 lbs / 23 kgs for excess charged bags
What it will cost
In some cases, you won't have to pay the fees for up to 3 bags when traveling on itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines. If you qualify for free bags based on your AAdvantage® status or oneworld® status, the benefits are based on your highest status level at time of ticketing or check-in.
If your status level is:
- Higher at ticketing than at check-in, show your ticket receipt to the airport agent
- Lower at ticketing than at check-in, current benefits will automatically apply
Free checked bags may not apply to codeshare flights operated by our partners. Visit the website of the airline operating your flight for details.
1st checked bag is free for:
- Eligible AAdvantage® Aviator® and Citi® / AAdvantage® cardmembers (on domestic American Airlines operated itineraries)
- AAdvantage Gold® status
- GOL Diamond Smiles members
- oneworld® Ruby
or when traveling to these destinations*:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brazil
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Haiti
- Hong Kong
- India
- Israel
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Panama*
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Qatar
- South Korea
- Transatlantic
- Uruguay
*Excluding Basic Economy
1st and 2nd checked bags are free for:
- AAdvantage Platinum® status
- oneworld® Sapphire members
- Confirmed Domestic First customers
- Confirmed Business customers
- Confirmed Premium Economy customers
1st, 2nd and 3rd checked bags are free for:
- Confirmed Flagship® First and Flagship® Business Plus customers*
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum® status
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro® status
- oneworld® Emerald
- Active U.S. military and / or dependents with ID traveling on orders (1st - 5th bags free of charge)**
- Active U.S. military with ID on personal travel**
*Applicable only to Flagship® First International, Flagship® First Transcontinental and Flagship® Business Plus. AAdvantage Executive Platinum® status, AAdvantage Platinum Pro® status and oneworld® Emerald members traveling in Flagship® First may check a 4th bag at no charge
**Free checked bags apply when traveling on American marketed and operated itineraries. Free checked bags don't apply to codeshare flights operated by our partners.
Seasonal and / or year-round limitations apply on checked bags and the number of boxes allowed for travel to select cities.
Save time, pay online
Don’t wait in line at the airport – get the best price available and check up to 3 bags when you check-in on aa.com or in the app.
Pay for your checked bags online within 24 hours of departure and receive the best price available for travel on domestic flights within and between the U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska, and select markets in the Caribbean and Central America.
For tickets issued on / after February 20, 2024, save $5 on the 1st checked bag fee for travel within and between the U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.
For more information about paying for your bags online, visit our customer service FAQs.
All published bag fees apply at each check-in location and are base rates according to travel dates and destination; applicable taxes are not shown.
| Region | Bag 1^ | Bag 2^ | Bag 3 | Bag 4+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. (including HI / AK), Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands | $40^^ | $45^^ | $150 | $200 |
| Canada and Mexico | $35^^ | $45^^ | $200 | $200 |
| Haiti | $0 / $35* | $65 | $200 | $200 |
| Caribbean (except Cuba and Haiti) | $35^^ | $45^^ | $200 | $200 |
| Central America (except Panama) | $35^^ | $45^^ | $200 | $200 |
| Guyana and Suriname | $35^^ | $45^^ | $200 | $200 |
| Panama / Colombia / Ecuador / Peru | $0 / $45* | $100 | $200 | $200 |
| South America (except Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Suriname) | $0 / $60* | $100 | $200 | $200 |
| Transatlantic | $0 / $75* | $100 | $200 | $200 |
| Transpacific | $0 / $75* | $100 | $200 | $200 |
All bag fees are non-refundable and apply per person, each way, even if you buy or get an upgrade that includes free checked bags. If you believe you were incorrectly charged for bag fees, contact an American representative for help or file a refund claim within 45 days.
^Main Plus includes 1 extra free checked bag in addition to the Main Cabin allowance (max of 2)
^^A $30 1st checked bag fee and a $40 2nd checked bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before February 19, 2024. A $40 1st checked bag fee ($35 if paid online) and a $45 2nd checked bag fee applies within / between the U.S. (including HI / AK), Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands for tickets issued on / after February 20, 2024. Otherwise, a $35 1st checked bag fee and a $45 2nd checked bag fee applies for tickets issued on / after February 20, 2024.
*Free bag excludes Basic Economy: For Basic Economy travel to / from Haiti, a $30 1st bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before February 19, 2024 and a $35 1st bag fee applies for tickets issued on / after February 20, 2024. For Basic Economy travel to/from Panama / Colombia / Ecuador / Peru a $45 1st bag fee applies. For Basic Economy travel to / from South America (excluding Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname) a $60 1st bag fee applies. For Transatlantic and Transpacific Basic Economy travel, a $75 1st bag fee applies.
Flights departing Canada
Find out how much you'll pay for checked bags and other fees on roundtrip and one-way flights departing Canada, displayed in CAD.
Bag and optional fees - Canada
If your region isn’t listed, we can still help:
Through checked bags
We only through check bags if all your tickets are in the same reservation and you’re connecting to another American Airlines or oneworld® flight.
Cuba
Each passenger traveling to Cuba may only check up to 2 bags* with a maximum weight of 70 lbs / 32 kgs per bag, plus 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal item.
*Seasonal exceptions apply to Havana, Cuba.
All published bag fees apply at each check-in location and are base rates according to travel dates and destination; applicable taxes are not shown.
| Trips originating in Cuba | 1st bag | 2nd bag | 3rd bag | 4th bag + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Cuba | $0 | $0 | $200 | $200 |
| To Cuba | $0 | $150 / $200** | $200 | – Not available |
| Trips originating outside Cuba | 1st bag | 2nd bag | 3rd bag | 4th bag + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| To Cuba | $0 / $35*^ | $150 / $200**^ | $200 | – Not available |
| From Cuba | $0 | $0 | $200 | $200 |
All bag fees are non-refundable and apply per person, each way, even if you buy or get an upgrade that includes free checked bags. If you believe you were incorrectly charged for bag fees, contact an American representative for help or file a refund claim within 45 days.
*For travel to Cuba,. a $30 1st bag fee applies to Basic Economy and there is no 1st bag fee for Main Cabin for tickets issued on / before February 19, 2024. For tickets issued on / after February 20, 2024 a $35 1st bag fee applies to Basic Economy and there is no 1st bag fee for Main Cabin.
**For travel to Cuba, a $200 2nd bag fee applies seasonally for travel from November 16 – January 9. A $150 2nd bag fee applies otherwise. Excludes Main Plus for tickets issued on / after September 20, 2023.
^Main Plus includes 1 extra free checked bag in addition to the Main Cabin allowance (max of 2).
What else can you travel with?
Restricted items
There are some items that are only allowed in checked bags or your carry-on. Check to see how to pack and travel with restricted items.
Flying on a partner airline?
Find helpful information if your trip includes 1 or more flights with our partner airlines.