Rewards credit cards often come with a slew of benefits, including travel perks. One such perk is getting free checked bags on certain airlines or statement credits for airline fees that include baggage. If you’re a frequent flier, this benefit can equate to hundreds, maybe even thousands, of saved dollars per year.
Learn more about the value of free checked bag perks, and which credit cards offer them.
Why Free Checked Bags are a Great Perk
For consumers who travel often and prefer to check a bag, getting a rewards credit card that offers free checked bags can offer big savings, says Andrea Woroch, a consumer and money-saving expert. “The average fee for a checked bag is about $30 to $35 for the first bag,” she says. “These charges really add up throughout the year when you consider paying these rates both ways on flights.”
What’s more, some credit cards also extend the free checked bag perk to one or more companions on the same travel reservation. When all is said and done, a free checked bag benefit could save you around $60 to $70 per person, per roundtrip.
Cards That Offer Free Checked Bags
Most of the cards that offer free checked bags are co-branded airline cards that are affiliated with a specific airline.
To Save on Delta Baggage Fees
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card. If you’re a Delta loyalist, this card has a number of benefits to help offset the cost of air travel including a fee waiver for your first checked bag. Plus, you can save on the baggage fees for up to eight additional travelers in your party as long as they’re on your reservation.
Delta’s first bag is $30, so on a roundtrip for a family of four with one bag each, you would save you $240.
- Annual Fee: $0 for the first year, $99 each year to follow.
- Welcome offer: Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after you make $2,000 in purchases within six months of card opening.
- Rewards: Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases and hotels; 2 miles per dollar on dining and groceries; and 1 point per mile on all other purchases.
- Earn a $100 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 on the card each year.
- 20% back on in-flight purchases.
- Priority boarding.
- Annual Fee: $250.
- Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you make $3,000 in purchases within six months of card opening.
- Rewards: Earn 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and hotels; 2 miles per dollar spent on groceries and dining, and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
- Get a Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal.
- Delta Sky Club access for $50 per person.
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck.
- 20% back on in-flight purchases.
- Priority boarding.
To Save on United Airlines Checked Bags
United Explorer Card. United Explorer Card cardholders can get the first checked bag free for themselves and one traveling companion on the same reservation, which is up to $140 roundtrip.
- Annual Fee: $0 for the first year, then $95.
- Sign-up Bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus points after you make $3,000 in purchases within 3 months of card opening.
- Rewards: Earn 2 points per dollar spent on United, hotels or dining; 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
- Fee credit for Global Entry, TSA Precheck, or NEXUS.
- 25% back on in-flight purchases .
- Priority boarding.
United Quest Card. This higher-tier card also comes with an upgraded free checked bag perk. You’ll get the first and second checked bag for you and a companion free – up to $320 roundtrip.
- Annual fee: $250.
- Sign-up Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points and 500 Premier Qualifying Points after you make $4,000 in purchases within three months of card opening.
- Rewards: Earn 3 miles per dollar spent on United; 2 miles per dollar on travel or dining and select streaming services; 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
- $125 annual United purchase credit.
- Two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits.
- Opportunities to earn Premier qualifying points.
- Fee credit for Global Entry, TSA Precheck, or NEXUS.
- 25% back on in-flight purchases.
- Priority boarding.
- Annual fee: $525.
- Sign-up bonus: Earn 80,000 bonus points after you make $5,000 in purchases within three months of card opening.
- Rewards: Earn 4 miles per dollar spent on United; 2 miles per dollar on travel or dining; 1 miles per dollar on all other purchases.
- United Club membership.
- Opportunities to earn Premier qualifying points.
- Fee credit for Global Entry, TSA Precheck, or NEXUS.
- 25% back on in-flight purchases.
- Priority boarding.
To Save on American Airlines Checked Bags
- Annual fee: $0 for the first year, then $99.
- Sign-up Bonus: Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles after you make $2,500 in purchases within three months of card opening.
- Rewards: Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on American Airlines, restaurants, and gas; 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
- Preferred boarding.
- 25% back on in-flight purchases.
- Annual fee: $595.
- Sign-up Bonus: Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you make $7,000 in purchases within three months of card opening.
- Rewards: Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on car rentals and hotels booked on the AA travel portal; 4 miles per dollar on American Airlines; 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases
- Complimentary Admirals Club® membership (a value of up to $850) and partner lounge access for primary cardmember.
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck.
- Priority check-in and boarding.
- 25% off on in-flight purchases.
Other Cards with Free Checked Bags
JetBlue Plus Card. JetBlue cardmembers can score their first checked bag free for themselves and up to three travel companions on the same reservation. JetBlue first bag fees are $35, so that means you can save up to $280 for four people roundtrip.
- Annual fee: $99.
- Sign-up Bonus: Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you make $1,000 in purchases within 90 days of card opening.
- Rewards: Earn 6 points per dollar spent on JetBlue; 2 points per dollar on restaurants and groceries; 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
- 5,000 bonus points at card anniversary.
- 50% savings on in-flight purchases.
- $100 statement credit when you purchase a JetBlue Vacations package.
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card. Free checked baggage for Alaska Airlines extends to six additional guests on the same reservation for travelers paying with this card.
- Annual fee: $95.
- Sign-up Bonus: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you make $3,000 in purchases within 90 days of card opening.
- Rewards: 3 miles per dollar spent on Alaska Airlines; 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, local transit, rideshare, cable and select streaming services purchases.
- Earn a $99 Companion Fare.
- $100 off Alaska Lounge+ membership.
- 20% back on in-flight purchases.
- Priority boarding.
Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard. Cardholders who travel frequently on Hawaiian Airlines can enjoy two free checked bags. That’s a $60 value per flight.
- Annual fee: $99.
- Bonus Miles: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you make $2,000 in purchases within 90 days of card opening.
- Rewards: 3 miles per dollar spent on Hawaiian Airlines purchases; 2 miles per dollar spent on gas, dining or groceries; 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
- One-time 50% off companion discount, plus $100 annual companion discount.
Cards With Travel Credits Can Cover Checked Bag Fees, Too
If you aren’t particularly loyal to one airline, you might want a more flexible way to save on baggage fees. Some cards offer travel credits or let you redeem points as a statement credit for travel-related fees – like checked bags. They include:
- The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with a $300 annual travel credit that covers incidental fees including checked bags.
- Both the Capital One Venture X and VentureOne cards let you use your points toward past travel purchases. Venture X also has a $300 annual travel credit.
- Discover it Miles is another card that lets you redeem points as a statement credit for travel expenses like checked baggage.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express provides up to $200 in statement credits for incidental charges from one airline of your choice.