US airlines
Delta bag fees and carry-on size
Independent site, not the airline. Fees are charged only by the airline, at booking, check-in or the gate.
Set the bags, the trip and any card or Medallion status: the calculator gives what Delta charges for your party, each way or for the return.
Bag fees for your trip
Delta Air Lines, round trip, 1 traveler
$90
| Checked bag 1, each way | $45 |
| Per traveler, each way | $45 |
Fees read on Delta Air Lines’s page on October 26, 2026.
Delta charges $45 for the first checked bag and $55 for the second on flights within the United States, each way, and $200 for the third and every bag after it. Delta publishes no cheaper online price: the amount is the same whether you add the bag when booking or at the counter. These fees apply to tickets bought from April 8, 2026; before that date the first two bags cost $35 and $45. Each bag may weigh 50 lb (22.7 kg) and measure 62 linear in (157 cm) in length, width and height combined. In the cabin, every passenger, including Delta Main Basic, brings one carry-on of 22 × 14 × 9 in (56 × 35 × 23 cm), with a combined maximum of 45 linear inches, and one personal item. Delta gives no dimensions for that personal item: a purse, briefcase or small backpack that fits under the seat in front. The figures were read on Delta's own pages on October 26, 2026.
Does my bag fit on Delta Air Lines?
Smallest way it travels on Delta Air Lines
Carry-on
| Personal item | no published limit |
| Carry-on | fits |
| Checked bag | fits |
Limits read on Delta Air Lines’s page; measure with wheels and handles.
Sizes, fees and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we check
One price, wherever you pay
Some carriers reward the passenger who pays for a bag ahead of time. Delta does not: its baggage overview lists a single amount for each bag within the United States, and the same figure applies at check-in. That makes the arithmetic simple. Two travelers, one bag each, a round trip: four first-bag fees. Add a second bag for one of them and the trip gains two second-bag fees. The tool at the top does this count and also subtracts any bag covered by a card or a Medallion tier.
| Checked bag | Fee each way | Before April 8, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| First | $45 | $35 |
| Second | $55 | $45 |
| Third | $200 | not listed on the page read |
| Fourth to tenth | $200 each | not listed on the page read |
The old column comes from Delta's own page of previous checked baggage fees, which explains that the increase concerns tickets purchased on or after April 8, 2026. Fare names changed as well: the cabins are now called Delta Main, Delta Comfort and Delta Main Basic. Delta One and Delta First travelers get 70 pounds per bag instead of the standard 50 lb (22.7 kg).
Main Basic still carries a bag on board
Unlike some rivals, Delta keeps the overhead bin open to its cheapest fare. The carry-on page says each passenger can bring one carry-on bag and one personal item free of charge, and Main Basic is not an exception. The bag must stay within 22 × 14 × 9 in (56 × 35 × 23 cm) on each side and within 45 inches when the three sides are added up, so a bag that is a little longer but thinner can still fail on the total. No weight limit is published for the cabin bag. The exception is the smallest regional aircraft: on Delta Connection flights with 50 seats or fewer, only personal items stay with you, and larger bags are checked at the gate for free.
Heavy bags and long bags
Overweight and oversize charges add to the normal bag fee rather than replacing it. They are steep on a one-bag trip: a first bag between 51 and 70 pounds costs more than three times the base fee in total. Moving a few pounds into the carry-on usually pays better than any other fix.
| Bag over the standard limit | Surcharge each way |
|---|---|
| 51 to 70 lb | $100 |
| 71 lb to under 100 lb | $200 |
| 100 lb or more | not permitted |
| 63 to 80 linear in | $200 |
Overweight or oversize: what one checked bag costs extra
American Airlines, each way, on top of the bag fee
$100
| Overweight charge | $100 |
| Oversize charge | $0 |
| Checked bag limit | 50 lb, 62 in |
When a bag is both overweight and oversize, American applies the higher fee only.
Who pays nothing for the first bag
Delta's Medallion and credit card page describes two routes to a free first bag. Holders of the airline's co-branded credit card who book the flight with that card get the first checked bag free, and the benefit extends to up to eight companions listed on the same reservation, nine travelers in all. Medallion members of any tier, and SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus members, also have the first bag fee waived, again with up to eight companions on the booking, and higher tiers or fares can add more bags. For the military, the military baggage page gives active US service members two free bags on personal travel in Delta Main or Delta Comfort, three in the premium cabins, and five when traveling on orders.
Does the airline’s co-branded card pay for itself in bag fees?
First checked bag fees avoided in a year
$360
| Net of the annual fee | $360 |
| First bag, each way | $45 |
Airline co-branded credit card: first checked bag free for eligible cardholders on domestic American-operated itineraries (AAdvantage number must be in the reservation). Number of companions covered is not stated on this page.
Before you book a Delta flight with bags
Check the purchase date of the ticket, which sets the fee. Measure the carry-on on all three sides and on the total. If you hold the airline's card, pay for the flight with it, since the benefit depends on that, and put every companion on the same reservation. Weigh checked bags at home: the jump at 51 pounds is the most expensive pound on the trip.