There was a time when checked bags felt like part of the trip.

Now they feel more like a side quest with a service charge.

Across several major U.S. airlines, checked bag fees have climbed again in 2026. Delta now shows $45 for a first checked bag and $55 for a second on many domestic trips. United raised first and second bag fees on tickets purchased on or after April 3, 2026. JetBlue continues to use a tiered structure that can hit $39 or $49 for the first bag and $59 or $69 for the second depending on timing and peak travel periods. American has also raised domestic Basic Economy checked bag pricing for newer bookings.

And then there is Southwest, which used to be the airline people pointed to when they wanted one simple sentence about baggage. That sentence has now gone into witness protection.

Southwest’s official fare rules now say checked bag fees apply to Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred fares, while Choice Extra still includes two free checked bags. A-List Preferred members still get two free checked bags, and A-List members plus Rapid Rewards credit cardmembers get the first checked bag free. In other words, the old “two bags fly free” simplicity is no longer universal.

For blind and low vision travelers, this matters for a simple reason: we often travel with more gear, more backups, more medical or accessibility-related items, and less tolerance for surprises at the check-in counter.

A sighted traveler might shrug and repack on the floor near the kiosk like a disgruntled raccoon. A blind traveler dealing with a cane, a guide dog, medication, charging gear, accessibility tools, and a crowded airport line is playing a very different game.

The new baggage landscape is getting messier

Part of the problem is not just the cost. It is the lack of consistency.

Delta’s bag pricing is relatively easy to read on its baggage page. United has separate pricing depending on whether you prepay, pay in the lobby, or show up at the gate with a bag where you should not. JetBlue adds timing and peak-period variations. American now ties some of its latest pricing changes to specific fare types and ticket purchase dates. Frontier says flat-out that bag prices vary depending on your trip and when you buy.

That means travelers can no longer assume the airline they flew last year, or even last month, still handles checked bags the same way.

The screenshot going around is not fake, but it is incomplete

If you saw the image listing Delta, Southwest, United, and JetBlue, the broad direction is real. Fees are up. But the chart flattens a lot of important detail.

Southwest is the biggest example. The fee shift is real, but the airline now has a mix of fare-bundle rules and loyalty exceptions. So a traveler on one Southwest ticket may pay for bags while another still gets them free.

JetBlue is another one. The first and second bag numbers in the screenshot are in the right neighborhood, but its third-bag figure is not a universal simple $200. JetBlue’s official fee page shows lower third-bag pricing on many domestic and near-international routes, including $125 off-peak / $135 peak in many cases.

So if you are planning a trip, use screenshots as a warning flare, not as your final answer.

Why this matters more for disabled travelers

Baggage policy changes are not just budget annoyances for disabled travelers. They can become planning problems.

A traveler who is blind or low vision may be carrying:

• backup charging gear
• medication and medical organization tools
• assistive devices or support equipment
• extra clothing because laundry or repacking is harder on the road
• guide dog supplies if traveling with a service animal

And while assistive devices often have separate protections under disability rules, not everything in a disabled traveler’s setup counts as a protected assistive item. That means the “just travel lighter” advice people love to toss around can be about as useful as telling someone to simply have fewer needs.

The airlines worth watching right now

Here is the rough state of play from official airline sources:

Delta
For many domestic trips, first checked bag $45, second $55.

United
For tickets bought on or after April 3, 2026, first and second checked bag fees rose by $10 in most North American markets, with first bag often starting at $45 prepaid.

JetBlue
First bag often $39 off-peak / $49 peak, second $59 off-peak / $69 peak, depending on when you add them.

Southwest
No longer simple. Bag fees now apply to Basic, Choice, and Choice Preferred, while some fare bundles and status/card combinations still include free checked bags.

American
Domestic Basic Economy bag pricing has risen again for newer bookings, with $55 for the first bag and $65 for the second on tickets purchased on or after May 18, 2026, with a $5 prepay discount.

Alaska
Still comparatively straightforward, with published North America pricing showing $40 for the second checked bag and $35 pre-pay noted on its baggage page.

Frontier and Spirit
These are still the “read the fine print twice and maybe once more for luck” airlines. Bag pricing is highly variable and tied closely to when and how you buy.

What blind travelers should do before booking

Before you buy the ticket, check these in order:

First, pull up the airline’s official baggage page, not a news graphic or AI summary. These numbers are changing too often to trust recycled charts.

Second, check whether your fare class changes the bag cost. Southwest is now the clearest example of how much that matters.

Third, see whether your credit card or status gets you a free bag. On some airlines that can erase the fee entirely.

Fourth, if you know you will check a bag, prepay online when the airline offers a discount. United, American, Alaska, and JetBlue all now make timing part of the price story.

And finally, if you are flying with disability-related equipment, look up the airline’s disability and assistive-device rules separately. Do not assume the baggage chart tells the whole story.

The bottom line

Yes, the overall trend in that screenshot is real. Checked bag fees are rising, and several major airlines have updated their pricing in 2026. But the graphic itself is too simplified to trust as a final planning tool. The numbers are sometimes right, sometimes incomplete, and sometimes missing the most important part, which is how much the fee now depends on fare type, timing, loyalty status, and where you pay.

The short version is this:

Do not trust the screenshot.
Do not trust old baggage habits.
And definitely do not wait until the airport to find out your suitcase has become a luxury item.