American Airlines · fees checked 2026-10-21
What a American Airlines flight really costs
The fare is only the start. These are American Airlines's own published prices for bags, seats, priority and the fees that catch people out, with the date we checked each one. Prices vary by route and date, so we show the range the airline publishes.
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Live fares from Kiwi.com across all airlines, with American Airlines's and every other airline's bags, seats and fees added.
Fares come from Kiwi.com at the moment you search and are not stored; you book on Kiwi.com. Bags are Kiwi's search prices for each flight where Kiwi quotes them (the airline's standard bag). Fares include Kiwi.com's service fee; with bags, Kiwi's checkout can add a baggage service fee its search does not show for some airlines (it does not publish these fees), so always check the total on Kiwi before paying. Airline logos are shown to identify the airline. Airport list: OurAirports.
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What's included free
- Personal item under the seat (free, every fare)45 × 35 × 20 cm source
- Carry-on bag in the overhead bin (free, every fare including Basic Economy)56 × 36 × 23 cm source
- 1st checked bag, 23kg, 158cm in total (included with transatlantic Main Cabin; not Basic Economy), up to 23kg source
- One extra free checked bag with Main Plus (two in total), up to 23kg source
- Two free checked bags, 23kg each (Premium Economy), up to 23kg source
- Two free checked bags, 32kg each (Business), up to 32kg source
- Three free checked bags, 32kg each (Flagship First and Flagship Business Plus), up to 32kg source
Cabin bags
| What | When bought | Price | Charged | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carry-on bag in the overhead bin Free on every fare, including Basic Economy. Basic Economy boards last (usually Group 9), when the overhead bins are often full, so the bag may have to be checked at the gate. | online, when booking | €0 / £0 / US$0 | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
Checked (hold) bags
| What | When bought | Price | Charged | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st checked bag, transatlantic Basic Economy Charged each way. Basic Economy includes no checked bag between Europe and the Americas. Same price online (up to 2 hours before departure) and at the airport. Tickets issued on or before 17 May 2026 pay $75. | online, after booking | ≈€75.79 / ≈£63.68 / US$85 | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
| 1st checked bag, transatlantic Main Cabin and above Free on Main Cabin, Main Plus, Premium Economy, Business and First between Europe and the Americas. | online, after booking | €0 / £0 / US$0 | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
| 2nd checked bag, transatlantic Basic Economy and Main Cabin Charged each way. Free with Main Plus, Premium Economy, Business and First. Same price online and at the airport. | online, after booking | ≈€89.17 / ≈£74.93 / US$100 | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
| 3rd and each further checked bag, transatlantic Each way, for every bag beyond the 2nd (the 3rd is free in Flagship First and Flagship Business Plus). Up to 10 bags on transatlantic trips; some cities have seasonal limits. | online, after booking | ≈€178.33 / ≈£149.85 / US$200 | per item | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
| Overweight bag (over 23kg, up to 32kg), transatlantic $30 for a bag over 23kg up to 24kg; $100 over 24kg up to 32kg. Paid on top of the bag fee. Bags over 32kg are not accepted on transatlantic flights. Business and First pay only for bags beyond their free allowance. | at the airport | ≈€26.75 to €89.17 / ≈£22.48 to £74.93 / US$30 to US$100 | per item | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
| Oversize bag (over 158cm in total), transatlantic $30 for 158cm to 165cm in total (length + width + height); $150 for 165cm to 292cm. Bags over 292cm are not accepted. If a bag is both too heavy and too big, only the higher fee applies. | at the airport | ≈€26.75 to €133.75 / ≈£22.48 to £112.39 / US$30 to US$150 | per item | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
Seats
| What | When bought | Price | Charged | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard seat chosen in advance (Basic Economy) Basic Economy pays to choose any seat; American does not publish the price, which varies by flight. If you do not pay, a seat is given free at check-in and companions may not sit together. Children under 15 are seated next to at least one adult. | online, when booking | not published Paid for this? Tell us → | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
| Standard seat chosen in advance (Main Cabin and above) Free when you book on Main Cabin and higher fares. | online, when booking | €0 / £0 / US$0 | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
| Preferred Seat (a better spot in Main Cabin, no extra legroom) Per flight; the price varies by flight. The range covers all American routes; no separate transatlantic figure is published. | online, when booking | ≈€3.57 to €123.94 / ≈£3 to £104.14 / US$4 to US$139 | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
| Main Cabin Extra seat (extra legroom, early boarding, free alcoholic drinks) Per flight; the price varies by flight. The range covers all American routes; no separate transatlantic figure is published. Can also be bought after booking. Comes with Group 5 boarding, but Basic Economy still boards last. | online, when booking | ≈€17.83 to €249.67 / ≈£14.98 to £209.79 / US$20 to US$280 | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
Priority boarding
| What | When bought | Price | Charged | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priority (priority check-in, security and boarding) Each way; the price varies by trip. Sold on Main Cabin tickets only. | online, when booking | ≈€8.02 to €65.98 / ≈£6.74 to £55.44 / US$9 to US$74 | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
Airport check-in
| What | When bought | Price | Charged | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checking in at the airport desk inferred American does not list a fee for checking in at the airport. Check in at least 60 minutes before an international flight. | at the airport | not published | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
Payment and admin fees
| What | When bought | Price | Charged | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card payment fee inferred American does not list a card or payment fee on its fees page. | online, when booking | not published | per booking | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
Flight changes
| What | When bought | Price | Charged | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change to the ticket before the day of travel (Main Cabin and above) Plus any difference in fare. No change fee when the trip starts in North or South America; up to $400 when it starts elsewhere, such as Europe. Basic Economy tickets cannot be changed, except trips starting in Europe, for a fee American does not state. | online, after booking | ≈€0 to €356.67 / ≈£0 to £299.70 / US$0 to US$400 | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
| Same-day confirmed flight change Starting price on Basic Economy and Main Cabin; the price varies by trip. Free in Business and First. Not available in Premium Economy. | online, after booking | ≈from €53.50 / ≈from £44.95 / from US$60 | per person, per flight | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
Other fees
| What | When bought | Price | Charged | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Help from Reservations (booking or changing by phone) Not charged when you book or change on aa.com or in the app. | online, after booking | ≈€44.58 / ≈£37.46 / US$50 | per person, per booking | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
| Ticket bought at an airport ticket counter American says the fee varies by country and publishes no figure for transatlantic trips. | at the airport | not published | per person, per booking | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
| Cancel a Basic Economy ticket from the U.S. to Europe (for travel credit) AAdvantage members only, for tickets bought in the U.S. directly with American and cancelled on aa.com or the app before the first flight. You get travel credit, not cash. Otherwise Basic Economy cannot be cancelled after the first 24 hours. | online, after booking | ≈€177.44 / ≈£149.10 / US$199 | per person, per booking | source, checked 2026-10-21 |
≈ = converted by us from US dollars and euros (as American Airlines publishes them) at the European Central Bank reference rate of 2026-10-20. The airline's own price in that currency may differ slightly.
Main source: American Airlines fees page. Next re-check due by 2026-11-21.
What travellers paid
No figures yet: we publish a price once at least 5 travellers have reported it.
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