June 8. American Airlines has once cut baggage allowances on basic economy tickets. For all tickets issued after June 7th, passengers will have to pay $75 for the first checked bag on all international flights outside North and South America. Previously, passengers were allowed at least one checked bag on long-haul routes, but this is no more, with the change coming days before peak summer travel.
In a disappointing yet unsurprising move, American has removed checked bags from international basic economy tickets. All tickets issued on or before June 6th, 2023, come with one checked bag on flights to and from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Oceania in all fare classes, including basic economy. However, the carrier updated its policy on Wednesday, as first seen by The Points Guy, adding a $75 fee for the first bag, making it far more expensive for travelers. The second bag will set you back another $100 and a third will be $200.
Flights within the US, to all US territories, Mexico, Canada, Central America, and South America, have different fees for basic economy and aren’t subject to this change. Now, all basic economy routes with American charges for checked bags, no matter the destination, a move even rivals United and Delta have not taken (yet).
Delta and United still offer one free checked bag on transpacific routes (Oceania) but also charge $75 on all other long-haul routes. However, these changes tend to ripple quickly, and it won’t be surprising to see the pair make this change in the future too.
Source: Simple Flying
