I Got Suckered Into A New (To Me) American Airlines Check In Fee

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I’d like to think that I’m relatively well-versed when it comes to travel. I mean, I don’t necessarily know the minutia that the geeks know, but I think I still more than Jamie Q. Public, like:

• How to (hopefully) stop getting SSSS on your boarding pass
• A new (to me) way to get into a Delta Skyclub
• How to tell the difference between an Airbus and a Boeing
• Why you shouldn’t buy these foods at airports
• How to override hotel thermostat settings

And yet here I am, caught unaware of an update – this one from American Airlines and the fees it charges during check in. We won’t mention this is on top of another fee American recently introduced. WTG, American.

Anyway, although I’m usually on time, I happened to be running late and got to the airport later than I would typically want to. MCO is typically a mess (here’s why) and since it was near a holiday, the airport was even more crowded than usual. I wracked my brain to figure out a way to save some time, and then I remembered – curbside check-in! So I went back outside and got in the queue so the skycaps could check my one bag.

Everything went fine – the queue moved quickly enough – until the skycap told me there was a $3 charge for the service.

Wait, what?

Granted, we don’t use curbside check-in very often, but the last time I did (it was sometime not long before Covid started), the service was free.

Not wanting to be “that person,” and still wanting to save time, I paid the $3, plus a tip. But when I got home, yeah, you can bet I checked each airline to see what they said about curbside check-in.

Apparently, some airlines offer curbside check-in, and some don’t. Of those that do, some charge, some don’t.

These are the airlines that either specify offering curbside check-in on their respective websites, or have been anecdotally mentioned to offer it (Note: airports don’t necessarily offer curbside check-in at all airports they service):

American Airlines

From their website: We’ve partnered with Bags, Inc. for curbside concierge service at many of the airports where we fly. There’s a small convenience fee (starting at $3 per bag) for this service, plus any checked bag charges that may apply.

Delta Air Lines

From their website: There is no fee for using curbside check-in at the airport, but gratuities are always appreciated for outstanding service.

JetBlue

Although not listed on JetBlue’s website, it’s well documented that the airline charges for curbside check-in. The cost appears to be $3 per bag.

United Airlines

United does offer curbside check in at some airports, but they never mention it as its own entity as much as “Yes, you can pay whatever bag fees you owe during curbside check-in.” They don’t say on their website if there is a charge or not for curbside check-in, but as of 2019/2020, it was still free.

United does now offer what they call a Bag Drop Shortcut at some airports. That service is app based and free.

Southwest

Although not listed on Southwest’s website, it’s well documented that the airline offers curbside check-in. They don’t say on their website if there is a charge or not.

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