It pays to plan ahead with American Airlines – and you may pay extra if you don’t.
Customers who pre-pay for checked bags can now get $5 off their first and second bags on US domestic flights and select international flights. Prepayment is possible up to 2 hours before departure.
However, if you wait to pay in person at the airport, a second checked bag will now cost you more on the same routes.
This applies specifically to flights within the US, including Alaska, Hawaii and the US territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
It also applies to flights between the US and Canada, the Caribbean (except Cuba and Haiti), Central America (except Panama), Guyana and Mexico.
If you fly American to any of these destinations, your first checked bag will cost $35 if you pay in advance online, or $40 if you pay at the airport. No change for personal payment.
What’s different is the cost for your second checked item. It costs $45 if you pay in advance online and $50 if you pay in person at the airport. That’s an increase of $5 from before.
The change was made amid a series of improvements to the airline’s digital platforms, which American said are aimed at streamlining the travel experience and saving customers time and money on checked bags.
Customers with AAdvantage or oneworld status, eligible AAdvantage credit card holders, travelers booked in certain classes such as Confirmed Domestic First, and active-duty U.S. military service members and their families are eligible for waived baggage fees, with varying eligibility requirements.
Travelers on longer-distance international flights also have different baggage requirements. Details are available on the American Airlines website.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Checking a second bag can now cost you more on American Airlines
Reporting by Eve Chen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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