Alaska Airlines adds baggage fees for upgraded first class passengers

By: Ben Schlappig

Published: June 14, 2012

25 comments

Hey, I guess it was inevitable that an airline would start charging baggage fees for first class passengers.

Starting July 10, Alaska Airlines will start charging upgraded first class passengers for checked bags.

Elites will be exempt from this since they get free checked bags, but if you’re an MVP Gold member you get four confirmed upgrades per year that can also be used on family members. Now you’ll be stuck paying baggage fees if you choose to upgrade a family member, or for that matter if you use miles to upgrade.

While Alaska also offers paid upgrades, it’s my understanding that they only happen at the gate, so those passengers were already paying baggage fees.

For an airline that claims to be “North of Expected,” this strikes me as an awfully desperate move.

It’ll be interesting to see whether other airlines follow.

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Happy Guest

January 29, 2014, 2:54 am

I am using Avios to redeem a ticket from SAN to ANC via SEA. Since it is ticket with two-legs, do I need to pay separately for the upgrades on both legs, or just once? Can I do it online at T-24 for the paid upgrades??

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Adrian Guest

June 16, 2012, 2:04 am

This is unacceptable. Paying for an upgrade to first class includes the privilege for getting free baggage allowance, not only cabin upgrades. I am just waiting to see when Alaska will backtrack from this policy.

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Boraxo Guest

June 15, 2012, 12:55 pm

FYI Alaska offers paid upgrades at CHECK-IN, either at the counter or a kiosk. I have upgraded this way many times, usually for $50pp one-way on mid-haul, e.g. SFO-SEA or SFO-SJD or $100pp one-way to Hawaii. The baggage fee waiver was a nice perk as it reduced the real cost of upgrades. Last summer I spent $200 to upgrade my family and saved $60 on checked bags, so the real cost was just $35pp for a 3-hour flight. Can't beat that, especially as a non-elite! I guess the moral of the story is that AS, AA and DL elite status will provide the best way to avoid fees. I haven't checked lately but do BofA AS visa holders get a fee waiver?

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Don Guest

June 15, 2012, 9:33 am

Don't forget folks if one is elite and traveling with a companion and only checking one bag just check both bags in under the elite customer so you do not have to pay the baggage fee

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Gene Diamond

June 15, 2012, 8:16 am

@Linda -- If you checked a bag and then upgraded at the gate, you would have already paid the baggage fee before you were upgraded. They don't refund the baggage fee after you buy the upgrade.

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