Some customers don’t have to pay select service charges for checked bags. This is only for United- and United Express®-operated flights when you check the bags through United. If you’re eligible for different types of exemptions, the larger one will apply.

Active U.S. military personnel and their dependents
The benefits below apply only on fully-operated United- and United Express-operated flights when you check bags through United.

Dependents of active U.S. military personnel have the same exemptions as the service member whose status provides the benefit. However, this only applies if they’re traveling on the same reservation.

When travel is due to official orders, dependents can travel alone. When dependents travel on their own without proof of military orders, the normal allowance and applicable fees apply.

MileagePlus Premier members
If you’re a Premier member, you and your travel companions² can check bags for free. Use this chart to see what each level of status provides.³,⁴,⁵.

There are currently some exceptions to the following destinations⁶:

The space and weight on any aircraft is limited. That’s why we have to charge more if you decide to bring any oversized, overweight or extra checked bags. We also add together multiple charges. So, if one bag is oversized, overweight and above the limit, we’ll charge for all three instances.

We can’t accept oversized, overweight and extra bags on flights to certain destinations and on flights during certain times. Check the list of destinations that don’t allow overweight, oversized or extra bags.

If you plan to check oversized, overweight or extra bags, keep the following in mind:

For a trip that includes one or more connection, we’ll check bags to the final destination on your ticket.

You'll need to go to baggage claim and re-check your bags if:

• You chose to have a layover
• You make a connection that involves an overnight stay
• Your connecting flight departs more than 12 hours after you arrive at the airport
• You’re connecting to an itinerary booked on a separate ticket that doesn't include a Star Alliance™ partner airline
• You’re traveling internationally and connecting to a domestic flight within your destination country

Usually, we’ll transport checked bags on the same flight as the traveler. If this isn’t practical, we’ll arrange to transport your bags on the next flight with available space.

Service charges apply whenever bags are checked with our partner airlines as the first operating airline, and are determined by the marketing airline.

Service charge waivers for MileagePlus Premier members or United MileagePlus Chase card members may not apply to flights on our partner airlines.

For details and information about each partner airline, please visit their specific website.

As required by U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, bag fees for your entire trip are determined by the marketing airline for the first segment of your trip. If you make a voluntary change to your trip and your new flight has a different marketing airline, the policies of the new marketing airline will apply. Your originating marketing airline is the one whose flight number is assigned to the first segment of your trip. If this airline is not United or United Express, different charges may apply.

Bag fees are based on the date of ticketing and on the ticketed cabin as well as the traveler's status or membership on the date of travel. Checked bag fees apply at any point where bags are checked. For a trip that includes one or more connections, bags will be checked to the final destination stated on the ticket, and the charge for checking a bag from your origin to your destination will apply. If you have a separate ticket on another airline, you must claim bags at the destination of the first ticketed trip and check bags with the other airline to the final destination. Bags can be checked through to the final destination if the separate ticketed trip includes Star Alliance member airline-operated flights. For a trip that includes a voluntary layover, your bags will be checked to your layover point, where you will collect your bags. When you resume travel, subject to applicable charges, you may check your bags again from the new point of check-in to the destination.

Temporary or permanent baggage embargoes, based on size, weight or number of bags, may be in place at certain airports.