United Airlines baggage fees and fare rules

IATA: UA
Updated: 2026-04-27
Answer-first summary
Carry-on allowance

The current published fee rows on this page do not include a general carry-on allowance line item.

Personal item rules

The current published fee rows on this page do not include a separate personal-item allowance line item.

Checked bag baseline

The published U.S. domestic Economy (non-Basic) baseline is USD 45 prepaid online or USD 50 at the airport for the first checked bag on tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026.

Notable restrictions

Basic Economy is the published fare class with the main restrictions in this dataset: change and cancellation are listed as not permitted after 24 hours, advance seat assignment starts at USD 15, and Basic preferred seating starts at USD 136.

Core fee breakdown

Published rows below are grouped by fee type and retain the route, fare, and timing limits shown in this dataset.

Carry-on rules

See also the broader carry-on fee reference.

No dedicated carry-on fee row is published in the current dataset for this airline page.

Personal item rules

The current published fee rows on this page do not include a separate personal-item allowance line item.

Checked baggage fees

See also the checked baggage fee reference. For a side-by-side baseline comparison, review American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines.

Applies toRegion / routeAmountTimingConditionsSource
Economy (non-Basic)US domestic35.00 USDeach wayFirst checked bag prepaid online $35; $40 at airport for tickets purchased before April 3, 2026, in most marketsSource
Economy (non-Basic)US domestic45.00 USDeach way2nd checked bag prepaid online $45; $50 at airport for tickets purchased before April 3, 2026, in most marketsSource
Economy (non-Basic)US domestic150.00 USDeach way3rd checked bag $150 for tickets purchased before April 3, 2026, in most marketsSource
Economy (non-Basic)US domestic45.00 USDeach wayFirst checked bag prepaid online $45; $50 at airport for tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026, in most marketsSource
Economy (non-Basic)US domestic55.00 USDeach way2nd checked bag prepaid online $55; $60 at airport for tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026, in most marketsSource
Economy (non-Basic)US domestic200.00 USDeach way3rd checked bag $200 for tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026, in most markets; trip-specific pricing may vary in the baggage fee calculatorSource

Overweight baggage

No dedicated overweight-baggage row is published in the current dataset for this airline page.

Oversized baggage

No dedicated oversized-baggage row is published in the current dataset for this airline page.

Seat and fare-related fees

See also the seat selection fee reference.

Applies toRegion / routeAmountTimingConditionsSource
Basic EconomyVaries15.00 USDat booking / manage tripAdvance seat assignment (starting price)Source
EconomyVariesVaries USDat booking / manage tripEconomy Plus seating (per flight, per person); published range $29–$299Source
Economy (non-Basic)Varies24.00 USDat booking / manage tripPreferred seating (starting price)Source
Basic EconomyVaries136.00 USDat booking / manage tripPreferred seating (starting price)Source

Change and cancellation references

See also the change and cancellation fee reference.

For cancellation, significant schedule change, and refund timing rules in U.S. markets, see the U.S. DOT refund rules reference.

Applies toRegion / routeAmountTimingConditionsSource
Economy (non-Basic)US domestic and international0.00 USDbefore departureNo change fee; fare difference appliesSource
Basic EconomyVariesNot permitted USDafter 24hChanges and cancellations not permitted after 24 hoursSource

Fare-class behavior

Basic Economy

Published rows show changes and cancellations not permitted after 24 hours, advance seat assignment starting at USD 15, and preferred seating starting at USD 136.

Economy (non-Basic)

Published rows show the first checked bag at USD 45 prepaid online or USD 50 at the airport, the second checked bag at USD 55 prepaid online or USD 60 at the airport, and the third checked bag at USD 200 in most markets on tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026; preferred seating starts at USD 24 and no change fee is listed for non-Basic Economy.

Economy Plus

Economy Plus is listed separately as a paid seat product with a published range of USD 29-299 per flight, per person.

Premium cabins

No separate premium-cabin baggage or cancellation row is published in this dataset.

Real-world scenarios

For international delay and cancellation coverage on itineraries that fall within EU261 scope, see the EU261 passenger rights reference.

Traveling without a checked bag

The current published rows on this page do not include a general carry-on fee line, so this page only confirms the checked-bag and seat rules listed above.

Checking one standard bag on a U.S. domestic trip

Published pricing is USD 45 prepaid online or USD 50 at the airport for the first checked bag in Economy (non-Basic) on tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026.

Purchasing a seat on Basic Economy

Published advance seat assignment starts at USD 15, while preferred seating starts at USD 136 on Basic Economy.

Changing a non-Basic domestic itinerary

Published change pricing is USD 0 for Economy (non-Basic), with fare difference applying.

When fees may not apply

  • Economy (non-Basic) shows no published change fee, with fare difference applying.
  • No explicit elite-status, fare-bundle, or co-branded card fee waiver is included in the published rows shown on this page.

Compare with other airlines

Comparison links below are limited to airlines with closely related fee structures or booking models.

Legal Disclaimer

• Information subject to change without notice.
• This site is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any airline.
• Fees are documented only from verifiable, airline-published sources.

Database ID: united

This reference page reflects only the published rows included in the current dataset and their linked source documents.