Baggage and seat rules, by fare brand
The most common unpleasant surprise in air travel is finding out at the airport that the fare you booked did not include the bag you brought. Everything below is knowable at search time.
The four allowances, in order of confusion
- Personal item. Fits fully under the seat in front. Included on essentially every fare, including basic.
- Cabin bag. The roller that goes in the overhead bin. Not included on many basic economy fares in North America, and not on most low-cost carriers anywhere.
- Checked bag. Charged per bag, per direction, on most economy fares. Included more often on international long haul than on domestic.
- Seat selection. Separate from all of the above. Some fares block it entirely until check-in opens.
How to read it on a result card
Every result on this site carries two bag indicators and the filed fare brand. They come from the fare the airline filed for that specific itinerary, not from the cabin name — which is the important distinction, because two “economy” results on the same flight can carry different allowances.
Cabin bag indicator
Reads “Cabin bag” when the fare includes an overhead-bin bag, and “No cabin bag” when it does not. If it says no cabin bag and you are travelling with a roller, price the bag before comparing that result against a more expensive one.
Checked bag indicator
Shows the number of checked bags the fare includes. Zero is normal on domestic economy. If you need one, the cheaper fare plus a bag is frequently more expensive than the fare above it.
Seat selection, honestly
Paying for a seat buys you a specific seat, not a guarantee. Airlines re-assign seats when an aircraft is swapped, when a flight is consolidated, or for operational and safety reasons. If you are moved, you are generally entitled to a refund of the seat fee — that has to be claimed from the airline, and it is worth claiming.
Two practical notes. First, if you are travelling with children, some carriers will seat a young child with an adult at no charge even on a fare that otherwise charges — ask before you pay. Second, exit rows carry age and capability requirements that airport staff will enforce regardless of what you paid.
When the allowance is wrong on your booking
If we ticketed your itinerary and the allowance recorded on it does not match the fare rules, contact the desk on (855) 820-3470 with your AFS reference and we will take it up with the airline. If your ticket came from somewhere else, the seller who issued it has to do this — see booked somewhere else.