Checked bags just got costlier

A checked bag that cost $35 on Delta now costs $45 on many domestic trips, and the second bag rose from $45 to $55, with the new prices taking effect for tickets bought on or after April 9, 2026. Southwest, the airline that spent years advertising two free checked bags, now charges many travelers $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for a second on Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred fares, while only Choice Extra still includes two free bags. That means the same $45 number now shows up in two different places: Delta for a first checked bag, and Southwest for a second checked bag on most mainland one-way trips. Southwest also charges $150 for a third checked bag, while Delta charges $200 for a third standard checked bag on the routes covered by its latest increase. Airlines like bag fees because the charge appears after the headline fare, so a $179 ticket can still become a $224 trip before seat assignments, snacks, or airport parking enter the picture. Delta’s baggage page still shows exceptions for co-branded cardholders, Medallion members, and active military travelers, which is how airlines turn fees into a reason to sign up for loyalty products. Southwest is using the same playbook from a different starting point. Its fee page now ties free checked bags to higher fares and Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred status, so the perk that used to be the default is now a reason to buy up. Delta is pushing harder in that direction because its whole strategy is to look less like a commodity. In Delta’s April 8, 2026 earnings release, chief executive officer Ed Bastian said the airline’s brand strength helped it deliver earnings more than 40% higher than a year earlier even with sharply higher fuel costs. Outside the press release, that premium story is even clearer. Fortune reported on April 9 that Delta now brings in about 20% more revenue per seat than rivals, and that premium-cabin revenue is close to overtaking main-cabin revenue for the first time in the company’s history. So the bag fee increase is not a side note. If Delta believes a bigger share of customers will pay more for first class, airport lounge access, and branded credit card perks, then charging more for the no-frills version of flying fits the model. The twist is that expensive cash fares can make award tickets look better by comparison. When airlines raise the cash cost of a basic trip with bag fees and other add-ons, a mileage redemption that includes a free checked bag through status or a credit card can suddenly save more real money than it did a year ago. For travelers who do not hold airline status and do not carry an airline card, the old trick of “just book the cheapest flight” keeps getting weaker. In April 2026, the fare on the search page matters less than the fee table behind it.