Airline Fees to Avoid

With fewer departures and downsized crews, many U.S. airlines are struggling to make a profit. As a result, they've begun charging coach passengers for services that were once free. In fact, with so many new fees and service charges to keep track of, it's no surprise that many travelers have been left scratching their heads. Below we've created a check list of hidden airline fees every traveler should keep in mind when booking a flight.

Baggage fees

	American Airlines	AirTran	Continental	Delta	JetBlue	Southwest	Spirit	United	US Airways	Virgin America
1st Bag	$15	Free	$15	Free	Free	Free	$15 (online) $25 (@airport)	$15	$15	Free
2nd Bag	$25	$10 (online) $20 @airport¹	$25	$50	$20	Free	$25	$25	$25	$25
Additional Bags	$100 (3-5 bags) $200 (6+ bags)	$50	$100	$125 (3 bags) $200 (4-10 bags)	$75²	$25 $50 (4-9 bags) $110 (10+ bags)	$100	$125 $250 (7+bags)	$100	$50
Carry On	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free

¹ Effective 9/18, the charge for a second checked bag will be $25.
² Bags over the weight and size limit will be charged 3x

Seat preference fees

	American Airlines	AirTran	Continental	Delta	JetBlue	Southwest	Spirit	United	US Airways	Virgin America
Seats	None	$6 (choosing your own seat) $20 (Exit Row)	None	None	$10 ("legroom" seats)	None	$15 (exit row) $10 (aisle) $5 (middle)	from $14-$109	$5	Pricing N/A

Pet fees

	American Airlines	AirTran	Continental	Delta	JetBlue	Southwest	Spirit	United	US Airways	Virgin America
In Cabin/Cargo	$100 / $150	$69 / NA	$125 / from $68	$150 / $275	$100 / NA	Animals not allowed	Pricing N/A	$125 / from $125	$100 / NA	$100 / NA

In-flight amenities

	American Airlines	AirTran	Continental	Delta	JetBlue	Southwest	Spirit	United	US Airways	Virgin America
Snacks / Beverages	For sale / Included	None / Included	Included	For sale / Included	Free	Free	For sale /for sale	For sale / Included	For sale / Included	For sale/ Included
Pillows & Blankets	Included	Included	Included	Included	$7	Included	Included	Included	Included	Included

Louis Ramirez is dealnews' Features editor.