Carry-On Requirements for Alaska Airlines, and What Bags Cost
The short answer
The carry on requirements for Alaska Airlines are one bag up to 22 x 14 x 9 inches, wheels and handles included, plus one personal item, free on every fare including Saver. Checked bags within North America cost $45 for the first and $55 for the second on tickets bought on or after April 10, 2026. Atmos status, the Atmos Visa card and First Class waive some or all of that.
You have an Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines flight booked and want to know what fits in the cabin and what a suitcase will cost at the counter. Both answers changed in 2026, and older guides still quote the previous prices.
This covers the carry-on limits, the checked bag fees before and after the April increase, who still flies with free bags, and how to check bags online. Every figure here was checked against Alaska’s own baggage pages in September 2026.
What to check before you pack
- Your ticket date. Tickets bought on or after April 10, 2026 pay the new fees; older tickets keep the old ones.
- Who operates the flight. Partner-operated codeshare flights follow that airline’s bag rules, not Alaska’s.
- Your Atmos Rewards tier, or whether you paid with an Atmos Rewards Visa card.
- A tape measure. Alaska counts wheels, handles and expanded zips in the carry-on size.
- A luggage scale. A checked bag over 50 pounds (23 kg) costs extra.
What are the carry-on rules for Alaska Airlines?
Every passenger may bring one carry-on bag and one personal item at no charge. That applies on every fare and every aircraft type Alaska flies, from a Horizon regional jet to a 737.
At least one of the two items has to go under the seat in front of you. You also need to be able to lift your own bag into the overhead bin, which is the practical weight limit.
Carry-on bag
Up to 22 x 14 x 9 inches (56 x 36 x 23 cm), and no more than 45 linear inches in total. Alaska is explicit that wheels and handles count. Soft or expandable bags are worth measuring again after packing, since a full front pocket can push the depth past 9 inches.
Personal item
A purse, briefcase or laptop bag. Alaska publishes no fixed dimensions for it, only that it must fit under the seat. Medically necessary items travel on top of both allowances.
Liquids still follow TSA
Toiletries in the carry-on follow the TSA 3-1-1 rule: containers of 3.4 ounces (100 mL) or less, inside one quart-size bag. What counts as a liquid at TSA covers the grey areas, from peanut butter to mascara.
Does Saver fare get a carry-on on Alaska?
Yes. Saver, Alaska’s basic economy fare, keeps the full-size carry-on and the personal item. Alaska lists Main Cabin and Saver passengers together on the same bag fee table, so a checked bag costs a Saver passenger exactly the same amount.
Saver restricts seat choice and changes instead. That makes Alaska more generous than United, whose domestic Basic Economy drops to a personal item only. See carry-on size by airline for how the other carriers compare.
How much is a checked bag on Alaska Airlines?
On a North America ticket bought on or after April 10, 2026, the first checked bag costs $45 and the second $55. The third and every bag after it costs $200 each. North America here includes Hawaii, Mexico, Canada and Central America.
Alaska cited fuel prices and “an uncertain global environment” when it raised the fees. It also dropped the $5 online prepay discount at the same time, so paying early no longer saves anything.
| Bag | Ticketed on or before April 9, 2026 | Ticketed on or after April 10, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| First checked bag | $40 ($35 if prepaid online) | $45 |
| Second checked bag | $45 | $55 |
| Third and later bags | $150 each | $200 each |
| Flights wholly within Hawaii | $30, then $40 | $30, then $40 |
The limits did not change: 50 pounds (23 kg) and 62 linear inches (157 cm) per bag, length plus width plus height. That matches Delta and American, and checked baggage by airline lines the major carriers up side by side.
International routes
Main Cabin international fares include bags on some routes. Alaska’s table shows two free bags to Asia and Oceania, and one free bag to Europe with the second at $100. Check your own itinerary, since the starting point sets the currency and the partner airline may set the rules.
Who gets a free checked bag on Alaska?
Several groups fly with some or all bags free, and the benefit follows the passenger, not the fare. Where two benefits apply, Alaska gives the higher allowance; they do not stack.
| Traveler | Free checked bags | Weight per bag | Companions on the same booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atmos Silver | 1 | 50 lb | Yes |
| Atmos Gold | 2 | 50 lb | Yes |
| Atmos Platinum and Titanium | 3 | 50 lb | Yes |
| Atmos Rewards Visa cardholder | 1 | 50 lb | Up to six guests |
| First Class | 2 | 70 lb | No |
| Active duty US military with ID | Up to 5 | 70 lb | Varies by orders |
Two conditions catch people out. The Atmos Visa benefit only applies when the flight was bought with the card. The First Class allowance only counts if you are confirmed in First Class at check-in; an upgrade after the bags are accepted does not refund the fee already paid.
Alaska residents enrolled in Club 49 get two free bags on any trip touching the state, and three on trips wholly within Alaska. Hawaii residents get a similar benefit through Huaka’i on flights between the islands.
How do you check bags online with Alaska Airlines?
Online check-in opens 24 hours before departure on the website or the Alaska Hawaiian app. That is where you add bags and pay for them, so the airport step shrinks to tagging and dropping.
- Check in online or in the app with your last name and six-character confirmation code.
- Add your checked bags and pay during check-in.
- Scan your boarding pass QR code at a Bag Tag Station in the airport lobby, within four hours of departure, and attach the printed tags.
- Drop the tagged bags at a Bag Drop counter with your ID ready. Seattle, Portland and San Francisco also have automated bag drops.
Alaska will not accept a checked bag more than four hours before departure. Vancouver and Calgary accept bags later still, because of US Customs preclearance.
When is the checked bag cutoff?
Your bags and a valid boarding pass must be accepted no later than 50 minutes before a domestic US departure, and 60 minutes before an international one. Flights between the Hawaiian islands close at 30 minutes.
Some airports run earlier. Guadalajara closes bags at 90 minutes, and King Salmon and Dillingham at 60 minutes even for domestic flights. You must also be at the gate 30 minutes before departure. Several third-party guides still quote a 40-minute domestic cutoff, but Alaska’s own page now says 50.
What an overweight or oversized bag costs
The extra charges are added on top of the normal bag fee, and on top of each other. A bag that is both heavy and large pays both.
| Bag condition | Extra fee per bag |
|---|---|
| Up to 50 lb and 62 in | None, base fee only |
| 51 to 70 lb | $100 |
| 71 to 100 lb | $200 |
| Oversize, 63 to 115 in | $200 |
Within Hawaii the surcharges are lower: $35 for 51 to 70 pounds, $70 for 71 to 100 pounds, and $35 for oversize.
Where bags go wrong on Alaska
- Seasonal limits. From November 15 to March 1, Alaska accepts only one checked bag per person to and from Bozeman, Billings, Kalispell and Sun Valley. Jackson Hole adds a summer limit. Extra bags travel standby, space permitting.
- Separate tickets. Bags are only checked through to the final destination on the first ticket. On a self-connection you collect them and pay the next airline’s fee.
- Codeshare flights. A flight sold by Alaska but operated by American, British Airways, Qatar or another partner can follow that airline’s rules and fees.
Your bag was late, damaged or charged wrongly
- Report damage before leaving the carousel, to an agent at the airport.
- Claim the 20-minute guarantee if your bags were not at baggage claim within 20 minutes of arrival. Ask at the baggage office within two hours for a $25 discount code or 2,500 Atmos Rewards bonus points.
- File a delayed bag report in person at the arrival airport within 24 hours, and keep the File ID from the confirmation email.
- Ask for the bag fee back if the bag arrives more than 12 hours after a domestic flight. The DOT refund rule requires it once a report is on file.
- Contact Central Baggage Service if the bag is still missing after five days; the report moves there automatically. American Airlines lost baggage walks through what a full claim needs.
Frequently asked questions
In short
Alaska kept the carry-on and personal item free on every fare, Saver included, with a 22 x 14 x 9 inch limit that counts wheels and handles. Checked bags rose on April 10, 2026 to $45 and $55, and the prepay discount went with the increase.
Atmos status, the Atmos Visa card, First Class, military ID and Club 49 each still waive some or all of the fee. Paying online and tagging at a Bag Tag Station is the quickest way through the lobby.
Rules change without much notice. If something here no longer matches what you were told at the counter, tell us and we will correct it.
Sources
- Alaska Airlines: Checked baggage fees and policies, checked 2026-09-24
- Alaska Airlines: Carry-on luggage, checked 2026-09-24
- Alaska Airlines: Services and fees, checked 2026-09-24
- Alaska Airlines: Check-in and boarding cut-off times, checked 2026-09-24
- Alaska Airlines: Check-in options, checked 2026-09-24
- Alaska Airlines: Bag Tag Stations, checked 2026-09-24
- Alaska Airlines: Baggage fee waivers, exceptions and seasonal limits, checked 2026-09-24
- Alaska Airlines: Delayed, lost or damaged bags and the 20-minute guarantee, checked 2026-09-24
- Alaska Airlines: Atmos Rewards Visa card benefits, checked 2026-09-24
- Alaska Airlines: Introducing Atmos Rewards
- US Department of Transportation: Automatic refund rule
- TSA: Liquids rule
- Anchorage Daily News: Alaska Airlines increases baggage fees
- Alaska Public Media: Alaska Airlines increases baggage fees
- KHON2: Alaska, Hawaiian prices increase for checked bags
- Are carry-on bags free on Delta?
- Are carry-on bags free on United?
- Can carry-on luggage be checked in?
