HIDDEN FEE
Checked baggage fee
Hold luggage feeChecked bag fee
On unbundled fares — especially low-cost and “basic” tickets — a checked bag is priced separately from the seat. The fee typically rises the later you add it, so buying it at the airport usually costs more than adding it during booking. Weight and size limits differ sharply between airlines.
Where it applies
How to avoid or shrink it
- Travel with cabin baggage only where the trip allows — but check the airline’s cabin-bag size, which also varies.
- If you need a hold bag, add it during booking; airport and post-booking prices are usually higher.
- Compare the fare including the bag, not the headline fare, when the bag is a given.
THE HONEST CAVEAT
The cheapest headline fare plus a bag is sometimes dearer than a “more expensive” fare that includes one. The bag fee is only hidden if you forget to add it to the comparison.
Count it in your true total
Run a specific booking through the calculator and this fee is counted — sourced, dated and confidence-graded alongside everything else the headline price leaves out.
Back to the full fee glossary, or browse the Hidden-Fee Index.