Which Airlines Charge for Carry-On Bags? The Complete 2026 Fee Guide

You just found a $79 flight on Frontier and you’re feeling pretty good about it. Then you get to the bag selection screen and realize putting anything in the overhead bin costs another $59. Suddenly that “cheap” flight is $138, and you haven’t even picked a seat yet.

This is the reality of flying budget airlines in 2026. The ticket price is the opening bid, not the final cost. After testing and tracking carry-on policies across 75 airlines, we put together this guide so you know exactly which airlines charge for overhead bin access, how much they charge, and how to avoid the fee entirely.

The quick answer: 10 airlines worldwide charge a separate fee to bring a carry-on bag into the overhead bin, ranging from $13 (easyJet) to $99 (Spirit at the gate). Three more US airlines restrict carry-ons on their cheapest fare class. Every other major carrier includes a free carry-on on all fares.

What counts as a “carry-on fee”

Before we get into the list, a quick clarification. Every airline lets you bring one small personal item (a backpack, purse, or laptop bag that fits under the seat) for free. The fee we’re talking about here is for the second, larger bag that goes in the overhead bin. Budget airlines call this a “carry-on” or “cabin bag” and charge separately for it. Legacy airlines include it for free on most or all fares.

Some airlines don’t charge a separate fee but restrict carry-on access on their cheapest tickets. We cover those in a separate section below because the effect is the same: you show up thinking your bag flies free and it doesn’t.

Every airline that charges for carry-on bags in 2026

Here are the 10 airlines that charge a separate carry-on bag fee, ranked from most expensive to cheapest. All prices are in USD and reflect the rate when you prepay at booking. Waiting until the airport or gate always costs more.

1. Spirit Airlines: $65 at booking, up to $99 at the gate

Spirit is the most expensive carry-on fee in the US. The only bag that flies free is a personal item no larger than 18 x 14 x 8 inches. Anything destined for the overhead bin starts at $65 if you add it during booking and climbs to $99 if you wait until the gate. That’s a 52% markup for procrastinating.

Spirit’s carry-on size limit is actually generous at 22 x 18 x 10 inches, larger than most legacy carriers. The irony is that the airline with the biggest sizer charges the most to use it.

Check Spirit carry-on dimensions and fees

2. Frontier Airlines: $59 at booking, up to $75 at the gate

Frontier runs a similar model to Spirit. Personal item only on the base fare, with carry-on access starting at $59 online. Gate pricing jumps to $75. Frontier also enforces a 35-pound (16 kg) weight limit on carry-ons, which is unusual for a US airline and catches travelers off guard.

One thing that makes Frontier slightly better than Spirit: the gate markup is smaller ($16 vs $34). But the weight limit means your fully packed roller bag might get flagged even if it fits the sizer.

Check Frontier carry-on dimensions and fees

3. Volaris: $50 at booking

Mexico’s largest ultra-low-cost carrier charges around $50 for overhead bin access. Like other ULCCs, only a personal item is included in the base fare. Volaris also enforces a strict 22-pound (10 kg) weight limit, which is more aggressively enforced than US carriers. If you’re flying between the US and Mexico on a budget, factor this into the real ticket price.

Check Volaris carry-on dimensions and fees

4. Ryanair: ~$40 (€35) at booking

Europe’s biggest budget carrier charges around $40 for “Priority & 2 Cabin Bags” which is how you get overhead bin access. Without it, you’re limited to one small bag (15.7 x 9.8 x 7.9 inches) that must fit under the seat. Ryanair also enforces a 10 kg weight limit and their gate agents are famously strict about it. If you’ve never flown Ryanair before, take the size limits seriously.

Check Ryanair carry-on dimensions and fees

5. Allegiant Air: $35 at booking, $75 at the gate (per segment)

Allegiant’s sticker price looks cheaper than Spirit or Frontier, but there’s a catch that trips up a lot of travelers: Allegiant charges per flight segment, not per round trip. A round-trip carry-on on Allegiant costs $70 at booking ($35 x 2), while Spirit’s round-trip carry-on costs $130 ($65 x 2). So Allegiant is actually cheaper, but only if you remember the per-segment math.

The gate price of $75 per segment is where it gets painful. A round trip with carry-on added at the gate is $150.

Check Allegiant carry-on dimensions and fees

6. Wizz Air: ~$35 (€30) at booking

Wizz Air is central Europe’s answer to Ryanair. Same model: personal item only on the base fare, overhead bin access bundled into the “Wizz Priority” add-on for around $35. Weight limit is 10 kg. Wizz Air flies some US routes (primarily from the East Coast to European cities), so this isn’t just a European concern anymore.

Check Wizz Air carry-on dimensions and fees

7. Sun Country Airlines: $30 at booking

Sun Country often gets overlooked in the budget carrier conversation, but they run the same model: personal item free, carry-on extra. At $30, their fee is more reasonable than Spirit or Frontier, and they offer a generous 24 x 16 x 11 inch size limit (actually the largest of any US carrier). The 35-pound weight limit applies here too.

Check Sun Country carry-on dimensions and fees

8. Breeze Airways: $20 at booking

Breeze, founded by JetBlue creator David Neeleman, positions itself as a “seriously nice” low-cost airline. Their carry-on fee of $20 is the cheapest among US carriers that charge. They also enforce a 35-pound weight limit. At $20, this is low enough that it barely moves the needle on your total flight cost, which is probably the point.

Check Breeze carry-on dimensions and fees

9. Vueling: ~$15 (€12) at booking

Spain-based Vueling charges one of the lowest carry-on fees in Europe. Their “Basic” fare includes only a personal item, but adding overhead bin access costs around $15. Weight limit is 10 kg. If you’re flying within Spain or between Spanish cities and other European destinations, Vueling’s total cost (ticket + carry-on) is often competitive with Ryanair’s.

Check Vueling carry-on dimensions and fees

10. easyJet: ~$13 (€10) at booking

easyJet has the cheapest carry-on fee of any airline we track. For about $13, you get overhead bin access with a generous 33-pound (15 kg) weight limit, the highest among European budget carriers. Their standard fare (“Standard”) includes only one small cabin bag (max 17.7 x 7.9 x 9.8 inches) that goes under the seat.

Check easyJet carry-on dimensions and fees

The “hidden fee” airlines: free carry-on, but not on every fare

Three major US airlines include a free carry-on on most fares but restrict it on their cheapest ticket class. This is where a lot of travelers get surprised at the gate.

United Airlines: no carry-on on domestic Basic Economy

United is the strictest legacy carrier when it comes to Basic Economy. On domestic flights booked as Basic Economy, you get a personal item only. No overhead bin access. If you try to board with a roller bag, you’ll be charged a checked bag fee at the gate. On international Basic Economy flights, a carry-on is included.

This catches a lot of people because United’s regular Economy includes a free carry-on. The only difference is the fare class you booked, and many travelers don’t notice which one they selected.

Check United carry-on dimensions and fees

JetBlue: no carry-on on Blue Basic

JetBlue’s cheapest fare, “Blue Basic,” restricts you to a personal item only. No overhead bin access, no seat selection, last to board. Their regular “Blue” fare and above include a free carry-on. JetBlue’s personal item limit of 17 x 13 x 8 inches is reasonably generous, so if you can pack light in a good backpack, you can make Blue Basic work.

Check JetBlue carry-on dimensions and fees

American Airlines: carry-on included, but watch the checked bag changes

American is the friendliest legacy carrier for Basic Economy travelers because they still include a free carry-on on Basic Economy fares. However, starting May 2026, American is raising checked bag fees and making other Basic Economy changes that could affect your total baggage cost. The carry-on itself remains free on all American fares as of April 2026.

Check American carry-on dimensions and fees

Airlines where carry-on bags are completely free

For the rest of the major carriers, a carry-on bag is included on every fare class with no exceptions. Here are the ones US travelers are most likely to fly:

• Delta Air Lines: Free carry-on on all fares, including Basic Economy. 22 x 14 x 9 inches. No weight limit. Low gate-check risk.
• Southwest Airlines: Free carry-on on all fares. Most generous size limit among US carriers at 24 x 16 x 10 inches. Southwest ended its “Bags Fly Free” policy for checked bags in May 2025 and raised checked bag fees to $45/$55 in April 2026, but carry-ons remain free.
• Alaska Airlines: Free carry-on on all fares. 22 x 14 x 9 inches. Low gate-check risk.
• Hawaiian Airlines: Free carry-on on all fares. 22 x 14 x 9 inches with a 25-pound (11.5 kg) weight limit.

Most international full-service carriers also include free carry-ons. British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, ANA, and Japan Airlines all include overhead bin access on every ticket. The main difference is that international carriers enforce weight limits (usually 7-10 kg) much more strictly than US airlines.

The credit card angle (it’s not what you think)

Here’s something that surprises a lot of travelers: budget airline credit cards do not waive carry-on fees. The Spirit Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard gives you two free checked bags, but you still pay for carry-on access. Same story with the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard: free checked bags for the primary cardholder, but carry-on fees still apply.

The only way to get a free carry-on on Spirit through a credit card is to earn Free Spirit Gold status, which bundles a free carry-on and a free checked bag. But Gold status requires significant spending or flying volume.

For legacy airlines, the credit card situation is more straightforward. Cards like the Delta SkyMiles Gold, United Explorer Card, and American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp all waive the first checked bag fee, and since these airlines already include free carry-ons, your bags are essentially covered.

The bottom line on credit cards: If you fly budget carriers regularly, an airline credit card saves you money on checked bags but does nothing for carry-on fees. The most reliable way to avoid carry-on fees on budget airlines is to pack everything into a personal item.

6 ways to avoid carry-on fees

1. Pack in a personal item only

Every airline gives you a free personal item. If you can fit your trip into a good backpack or tote that meets the personal item dimensions, you pay zero bag fees on any airline. A well-sized personal item bag can hold 3-4 days of clothes, toiletries, and electronics. For longer trips, consider using PackSmart to build a packing list optimized for personal-item-only travel.

2. Always prepay at booking

If you do need a carry-on, add it when you buy the ticket. The price only goes up from there. Spirit’s gate fee is 52% more than the booking price. Frontier’s is 27% more. Allegiant’s jumps from $35 to $75 per segment. There is no scenario where waiting saves you money.

3. Compare the total cost, not the ticket price

A $79 Frontier flight with a $59 carry-on ($138 total) might cost more than a $149 Delta flight with a free carry-on. Always add bag fees to the ticket price before deciding. This is especially true for round trips on Allegiant, where per-segment pricing doubles the visible fee.

4. Check your fare class before flying

On United and JetBlue, make sure you didn’t book Basic Economy / Blue Basic if you plan to bring a carry-on. The easiest way to check: look at your booking confirmation for the fare class name. If it says “Basic Economy” on United or “Blue Basic” on JetBlue, your carry-on is not included.

5. Use the right credit card (for checked bags)

While credit cards won’t waive carry-on fees on budget airlines, they will waive checked bag fees on legacy carriers. If you fly one airline frequently, their co-branded credit card usually pays for itself in bag fee savings within 2-3 round trips. See our full guide on how to avoid checked baggage fees in 2026 for specific card recommendations.

6. Fly airlines with free carry-ons

This sounds obvious, but it’s worth stating: Delta, Southwest, Alaska, and American include free carry-ons on every fare. If avoiding bag fees is a priority, start your search with these carriers.

International weight limits: the other carry-on surprise

US travelers flying internationally for the first time often get caught by weight limits. Most US airlines don’t publish or enforce a carry-on weight limit. You could technically pack 30 pounds into your roller bag and nobody would bat an eye.

International carriers are different. European airlines typically enforce 8-10 kg (17-22 lb) limits. Asian carriers enforce 7-10 kg limits. Middle Eastern carriers enforce 7 kg limits. And “enforce” means gate agents with scales.

If your carry-on weighs more than the limit, you’ll be asked to either remove items, check the bag (and pay the checked bag fee), or redistribute weight into your personal item. The easiest way to avoid this: weigh your bag at home before you leave for the airport. A simple luggage scale costs about $10 and saves you from a stressful gate encounter.

For exact weight limits by airline, check our carry-on size tool which covers dimensions and weight limits for 75+ airlines. If you write about carry-on policies on your own site, you can also embed this data as a free widget.

The bottom line

The carry-on fee landscape in 2026 breaks down into three tiers. Budget carriers (Spirit, Frontier, Allegiant, Ryanair, Wizz Air) charge $13 to $99 for overhead bin access and only include a small personal item for free. Legacy carriers with Basic Economy traps (United, JetBlue) include a free carry-on on most fares but restrict it on the cheapest tickets. And the rest of the major carriers (Delta, Southwest, Alaska, American, plus most international full-service airlines) include a free carry-on on every fare.

If you fly budget airlines often, the single best thing you can do is invest in a good personal item bag that fits the strict size limits. Pack smart, skip the carry-on fee entirely, and put the savings toward the trip itself.

If carry-on fees are the dealbreaker, fly Delta or Southwest domestically. Both include free carry-ons on every ticket, and Southwest has the most generous size limit of any US airline at 24 x 16 x 10 inches.