Checked bag policy
How many bags can you take?
Check up to 10 bags on American Airlines operated flights if your trip is:
- Domestic
- Transatlantic
- Transpacific
Check up to 5 bags on American-operated flights if you’re traveling to / through / from:
- Mexico / Caribbean / Central America*See footnote
- South America*See footnote
- Brazil*See footnote
*There are seasonal and year-round bag restrictions
Weight and size
We calculate the size limits of your bag by adding the total outside dimensions of each bag, length + width + height.
For all regions, except to / from Australia or New Zealand, your checked bag allowance is:
- Dimension: 62 in / 158 cm
- Weight: 50 lbs / 23 kgs
- For First / Business, weight is 70 lbs / 32 kgs for complimentary bags and 50 lbs / 23 kgs for excess charged bags
For all confirmed customers on flights to / from Australia or New Zealand:
- Dimension: 62 in / 158 cm
- Weight: 70 lbs / 32kgs for complimentary bags and 50 lbs / 23 kgs for excess charged bags
What will it cost?
Complimentary bags
In some cases, you won't have to pay the fees for up to 3 bags when traveling on itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines or marketed by American and operated by a oneworld® partner. If you qualify for complimentary bags based on your AAdvantage® status, the benefits are based on your highest status level at time of ticketing or check-in.
Note that complimentary bags may not apply to codeshare flights on our partners. For details, visit the operating carrier’s website.
If your status level is:
- Higher at ticketing than at check-in, show your ticket receipt to the airport agent
- Lower at ticketing than at check-in, current benefits will automatically apply
1st checked bag is complimentary for:
- Eligible AAdvantage® Aviator® and Citi® / AAdvantage® cardmembers (on domestic American Airlines operated itineraries)
- AAdvantage Gold®
- oneworld® Ruby
- Argentina*
- Australia
- Brazil*
- Chile*
- China
- Colombia*
- Ecuador*
- El Salvador*^
- Haiti*
- Hong Kong
- India
- Israel
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Panama*^
- Paraguay*
- Peru*
- Qatar
- South Korea
- Transatlantic*
- Uruguay*
*Excluding Basic Economy
^$0 1st bag fee applies to / from Panama for tickets issued on / before May 11, 2021, and on / after November 9, 2021. For tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021, and on / before November 8, 2021, a 1st bag fee of $30 applies to / from Panama. $0 1st bag fee applies seasonally to / from San Salvador, El Salvador for tickets issued on / before May 11, 2021. For tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021, a 1st bag fee of $30 applies year-round to / from El Salvador.
1st and 2nd checked bags are complimentary for:
- AAdvantage Platinum®
- oneworld® Sapphire members
- TrueBlue Mosaic members^
- Confirmed Business customers
- Confirmed Domestic First customers
- Confirmed Premium Economy customers**
^Up to 2 free checked bags with check-in at American ticket counters
1st, 2nd and 3rd checked bags are complimentary for:
- Confirmed Flagship® First customers*
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum®
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro®
- oneworld® Emerald
- Active U.S. military and/or dependents with ID traveling on orders (1st - 5th bags free of charge)
- Active U.S. military with ID on personal travel
*Applicable only to Flagship® First International and Flagship® First Transcontinental. AAdvantage Executive Platinum®, AAdvantage Platinum Pro® and oneworld® Emerald members traveling in Flagship® First may check a 4th bag at no charge
Cuba
Only 2 checked bags with a maximum weight of 70 lbs / 32 kgs each plus 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal item are allowed per passenger traveling to Cuba with no exceptions.
One-way to Cuba
Trips originating outside Cuba traveling to Cuba, pay the applicable bag fees.
Round-trip to Cuba
Round-trips originating outside Cuba traveling to Cuba:
- For travel to Cuba, pay the applicable bag fees
- When departing from Cuba, 1st and 2nd standard-sized bags are free
One-way from Cuba
Trips originating in Cuba, 1st and 2nd standard-sized bags are free
Round-trip from Cuba
Round-trips originating in Cuba:
- When departing from Cuba, 1st and 2nd standard-sized bags are free
- When returning to Cuba, 1st standard-sized bag is free
Charges to / from Europe
| Region | Bag 1^^ | Bag 2^^ | Bag 3 | Bag 4+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. / Mexico / Caribbean (except Cuba) / Central America / South America | $0 / $75* | $100 | $200 | $200 |
| Cuba | $0 | $200** | $200 | $200 |
*For Transatlantic Basic Economy travel $75 1st bag fee applies and there is no 1st bag fee for Main Cabin.
**For travel between Europe and Cuba a €90 ($100) 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before April 11, 2022 and a €180 ($200) 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / after April 19, 2022.
^^ Main Plus includes 1 more free checked bag above the Main Cabin allowance.
Charges to / from U.S. Domestic
| Region | Bag 1^^ | Bag 2^^ | Bag 3 | Bag 4+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | $30 | $40 | $150 | $200 |
| Mexico | $30 | $40 | $200# | $200 |
| Haiti | $0 / $30* | $65** | $200# | $200 |
| Cuba | $0 / $30 | $0 / $200** | $200# | $200 |
| Caribbean (except Cuba and Haiti) | $30 | $40 | $200# | $200 |
| Central America | $30*^ | $40 / $65** | $200# | $200 |
| Guyana and Suriname | $30 | $40 | $200# | $200 |
| South America (except Guyana, and Suriname) | $0 / $45* | $65** | $200# | $200 |
| Transatlantic | $0 / $75* | $100 | $200 | $200 |
| Transpacific | $0 | $100 | $200 | $200 |
All published bag fees are base rates according to travel dates and destination; applicable taxes are not shown. Seasonal pricing applies for tickets issued on / before May 11, 2021 for travel on June 1 – August 19 and December 7 – January 12, for tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021 for travel June 1, 2022 – August 19, 2022 and November 27, 2022 – January 10, 2023, and for tickets issued on / after April 26, 2022 for travel November 27, 2022 – January 10, 2023.
^For travel to / from El Salvador, the 1st bag fee of $30 applies seasonally for tickets issued on / before May 11, 2021. For tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021, the 1st bag fee of $30 applies year-round to / from El Salvador. For travel to / from Panama, there is no fee for the 1st bag (excluding Basic Economy) for tickets issued on / before May 11, 2021, and on / after November 9, 2021. For tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021, and on / before November 8, 2021, the 1st bag fee of $30 applies to / from Panama.
^^Main Plus includes 1 more free checked bag above the Main Cabin allowance.
#For travel to / from Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, and South America, the 3rd bag fee of $150 applies for tickets issued on / before May 11, 2021. For tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021, the 3rd bag fee of $200 applies.
*Free bag excludes Basic Economy: For travel to / from Haiti, a $30 1st bag fee applies. For travel to / from Panama, a $30 1st bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before November 8, 2021, and for tickets issued on / after November 9, 2021, the 1st bag fee is $45. For travel to / from Colombia and Ecuador, a $30 1st bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before May 11, 2021, and for tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021, the 1st bag fee is $45. For travel to / from South America (excluding Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname) a $45 1st bag fee applies. For Transatlantic Basic Economy travel (excluding Israel), a $75 1st bag fee applies.
**For travel to / from Haiti, a $70 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before May 11, 2021, and for tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021 the 2nd bag fee is $65. For travel to Cuba, a $40 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before May 11, 2021, a $65 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021, and a $200 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / after April 26, 2022 and travel on / after May 3, 2022. For travel to / from Honduras, a $55 2nd bag fee applies seasonally for tickets issued on / before May 11, 2021 and a $65 2nd bag fee applies seasonally for tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021 (see above for seasonal travel dates). For travel to / from Panama, a $40 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before November 8, 2021, and for tickets issued on / after November 9, 2021, the 2nd bag fee is $65. For travel to / from Colombia, a $55 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before May 11, 2021, and for tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021, the 2nd bag fee is $65. For travel to / from Ecuador, a $40 2nd bag fee applies, and for tickets issued on / after May 12, 2021, the 2nd bag fee is $65.
If your region is not listed, we can still help:
All bag fees are non-refundable and apply per person, each way, even if you purchase or get an upgrade that includes free checked bags. If you believe you've been incorrectly charged for bag fees, contact an American representative for help or file a refund claim within 45 days.
Through checked bags
We only through check bags if all your tickets are in the same record locator and you are connecting to another American Airlines or oneworld® flight.
What else can you travel with?
Restricted items
There are some items that are only allowed in checked bags or your carry-on. Check to see how to pack and travel with restricted items.