Are there size restrictions for checked luggage

Table of Contents Show

Inbound International Flights
Checked bag allowances
How many bags can you take?
Check up to 10 bags on American Airlines operated flights if your trip is:
Check up to 5 bags on American-operated flights if you’re traveling to / through / from:
What it will cost
1st checked bag is complimentary for:
1st and 2nd checked bags are complimentary for:
1st, 2nd and 3rd checked bags are complimentary for:
Through checked bags
What else can you travel with?
Restricted items
You may also like...
Is there a size limit on checked in luggage?
What size luggage is 62 linear inches?

You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in your carry-on bag and through the checkpoint. These are limited to travel-sized containers that are 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. Placing these items in the small bag and separating from your carry-on baggage facilitates the screening process. Pack items that are in containers larger than 3.4 ounces or 100 milliliters in checked baggage.

Any liquid, aerosol, gel, cream or paste that alarms during screening will require additional screening.

Exemptions

Medications
Infant and child nourishments

Inbound International Flights

You may carry duty free liquids in secure, tamper–evident bags, more than 3.4 oz or 100 ml in your carry-on bag if:

The duty free liquids were purchased internationally and you are traveling to the United States with a connecting flight.
The liquids are packed in a transparent, secure, tamper-evident bag by the retailer and do not show signs of tampering when presented to TSA for screening.
The original receipt for the liquids is present and the purchase was made within 48 hours.

The items inside the secure, tamper-evident bags must be screened and cleared. Any item that alarms or is unable to be screened will not be permitted in your carry-on bag. We recommend packing all liquids, gels, and aerosols that are over 3.4 oz or 100 ml in your checked baggage, even if they are in a secure, tamper-evident bag.

Liquids more than 3.4 oz or 100 ml not in a secure, tamper-evident bag must be packed in checked baggage.

Home
At the airport
Bags
Checked bag policy

Checked bag allowances

Changes to bag limitations have been updated as of April 26, 2022.

All bag fees are non-refundable and apply per person, at each check-in location, 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.

Bag limitations
Bag and optional fees

Bags
Checked bag policy
Carry-on bags
Delayed or damaged bags
Track your bags

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*
South America*
Brazil*

Bag limitations
Bag regions

*There are seasonal and year-round bag restrictions

Weight and size This content can be expanded

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

Oversize and overweight bags

What it will cost

Complimentary bags This content can be expanded

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. If you qualify for complimentary bags based on your AAdvantage® or oneworld® status, the benefits are based on your highest status level at time of ticketing or check-in.

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

Free checked bags may not apply to codeshare flights operated by our partners. Visit the website of the airline operating your flight for details.

Other airlines

1st checked bag is complimentary for:

Eligible AAdvantage® Aviator® and Citi® / AAdvantage® cardmembers (on domestic American Airlines operated itineraries)
AAdvantage Gold®
oneworld® Ruby

And when traveling to these destinations:

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 Domestic First customers
Confirmed Business 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

Bag fees This content can be expanded

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
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 bag fees are non-refundable and apply per person, each way, even if you buy or get an upgrade that includes free checked bags. If you believe you were incorrectly charged for bag fees, contact an American representative for help or file a refund claim within 45 days.

Bag and optional fees
Refunds

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 April 25, 2022 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 Panama, there is no fee for the 1st bag (excluding Basic Economy) for tickets issued on / after November 9, 2021. For tickets issued 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.

*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 South America (excluding 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 Honduras, a $65 2nd bag fee applies seasonally (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.

If your region isn’t listed, we can still help:

Reservations and ticket changes
Bag regions

Through checked bags

We only through check bags if all your tickets are in the same record locator and you’re connecting to another American Airlines or oneworld® flight.

Customer service FAQs

Cuba

Each passenger traveling to Cuba may only check up to 2 bags with a maximum weight of 70 lbs / 32 kgs per bag, plus 1 carry-on bag and 1 personal item. There are no exceptions.

Bag limitations
Carry-on bags

What it will cost This content can be expanded

Trips originating in Cuba	Bag 1	Bag 2	Bag 3	Bag 4+
From Cuba	$0	$0	$200	$200
To Cuba	$0	$200*	–	–

Trips originating outside Cuba	Bag 1	Bag 2	Bag 3	Bag 4+
To Cuba	$30	$200*	–	–
From Cuba	$0	$0	$200	$200

Oversize and overweight bags
Bag and optional fees
Refunds

*For travel to Cuba, a $65 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / before April 25, 2022, and a $200 2nd bag fee applies for tickets issued on / after April 26, 2022 and travel on / after May 26, 2022.