United Airlines baggage fees and fare rules
The current published fee rows on this page do not include a general carry-on allowance line item.
The current published fee rows on this page do not include a separate personal-item allowance line item.
The published Economy (non-Basic) baseline is split by purchase date. On tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026, the first checked bag is USD 45 prepaid online or USD 50 at the airport, the second is USD 55 prepaid online or USD 60 at the airport, and the third is USD 200 in most markets.
Basic Economy is the published fare class with the main restrictions in this dataset: change and cancellation are listed as not permitted after 24 hours, advance seat assignment starts at USD 15, Basic preferred seating starts at USD 136, and this page's practical value is concentrated in the checked-bag, seat, and change rows rather than cabin-entitlement rows.
Core fee breakdown
Published rows below are grouped by fee type and retain the route, fare, and timing limits shown in this dataset.
Carry-on rules
See also the broader carry-on fee reference.
Personal item rules
Checked baggage fees
See also the checked baggage fee reference. For a side-by-side baseline comparison, review American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines.
This site's current verified card dataset includes United cards with published first- and, on some tiers, second-checked-bag benefits on eligible United-operated itineraries. For the tracked card families, companion limits, and card-payment requirement, see the airline credit card baggage benefit reference.
| Applies to | Region / route | Amount | Timing | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy (non-Basic) | Most markets | 35.00 USD | each way | First checked bag prepaid online $35; $40 at airport for tickets purchased before April 3, 2026, in most markets | Source |
| Economy (non-Basic) | Most markets | 45.00 USD | each way | 2nd checked bag prepaid online $45; $50 at airport for tickets purchased before April 3, 2026, in most markets | Source |
| Economy (non-Basic) | Most markets | 150.00 USD | each way | 3rd checked bag $150 for tickets purchased before April 3, 2026, in most markets | Source |
| Economy (non-Basic) | Most markets | 45.00 USD | each way | First checked bag prepaid online $45; $50 at airport for tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026, in most markets | Source |
| Economy (non-Basic) | Most markets | 55.00 USD | each way | 2nd checked bag prepaid online $55; $60 at airport for tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026, in most markets | Source |
| Economy (non-Basic) | Most markets | 200.00 USD | each way | 3rd checked bag $200 for tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026, in most markets; trip-specific pricing may vary in the baggage fee calculator | Source |
Overweight baggage
Oversized baggage
Seat and fare-related fees
See also the seat selection fee reference.
| Applies to | Region / route | Amount | Timing | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Economy | Varies | 15.00 USD | at booking / manage trip | Advance seat assignment (starting price) | Source |
| Economy | Varies | Varies USD | at booking / manage trip | Economy Plus seating (per flight, per person); published range $29–$299 | Source |
| Economy (non-Basic) | Varies | 24.00 USD | at booking / manage trip | Preferred seating (starting price) | Source |
| Basic Economy | Varies | 136.00 USD | at booking / manage trip | Preferred seating (starting price) | Source |
Change and cancellation references
See also the change and cancellation fee reference.
For cancellation, significant schedule change, and refund timing rules in U.S. markets, see the U.S. DOT refund rules reference.
Fare-class behavior
Basic Economy
Published rows show changes and cancellations not permitted after 24 hours, advance seat assignment starting at USD 15, and preferred seating starting at USD 136. This dataset does not publish a separate Basic Economy checked-bag row on this page.
Economy (non-Basic)
Published rows show the first checked bag at USD 45 prepaid online or USD 50 at the airport, the second checked bag at USD 55 prepaid online or USD 60 at the airport, and the third checked bag at USD 200 in most markets on tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026; earlier published rows for pre-April 3, 2026 tickets remain at USD 35, USD 45, and USD 150 in most markets. Preferred seating starts at USD 24 and no change fee is listed for non-Basic Economy.
Economy Plus
Economy Plus is listed separately as a paid seat product with a published range of USD 29-299 per flight, per person.
Premium cabins
No separate premium-cabin baggage or cancellation row is published in this dataset.
Real-world scenarios
For international delay and cancellation coverage on itineraries that fall within EU261 scope, see the EU261 passenger rights reference.
Traveling without a checked bag
The current published rows on this page do not include a general carry-on fee line, so this page only confirms the checked-bag and seat rules listed above.
Checking one standard bag on a U.S. domestic trip
Published pricing is USD 45 prepaid online or USD 50 at the airport for the first checked bag in Economy (non-Basic) on tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026.
Checking three bags on a newer ticket
Published pricing is USD 200 each way for the third checked bag on tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026, in most markets, with the row also noting that trip-specific pricing may vary in United's baggage fee calculator.
Purchasing a seat on Basic Economy
Published advance seat assignment starts at USD 15, while preferred seating starts at USD 136 on Basic Economy.
Changing a non-Basic domestic itinerary
Published change pricing is USD 0 for Economy (non-Basic), with fare difference applying.
When fees may not apply
- Economy (non-Basic) shows no published change fee, with fare difference applying.
- Published checked-bag rows are split by ticket purchase date: pre-April 3, 2026 most-market rows remain at USD 35, USD 45, and USD 150, while later-ticket rows move to USD 45, USD 55, and USD 200 in most markets.
- No explicit elite-status, fare-bundle, or co-branded card fee waiver is included in the published fee rows shown on this page, even though the separate card-benefit reference tracks verified United card baggage benefits.
Compare with other airlines
Comparison links below are limited to airlines with closely related fee structures or booking models.
Legal Disclaimer
This reference page reflects only the published rows included in the current dataset and their linked source documents.