Originally Posted by
unterhausen
Airlines charge for any luggage at all, even if it's a barbie suitcase. So sometimes I have gotten charged for another suitcase, sometimes it has been free. Either way, it's better than $200 or 200 euro
Southwest I believe still has two free checked bags, or free as long as under 62 inches. I flew Southwest in 2018, my folding bike was in my S&S case (62 inches), and I had a second checked bag. And a carry on. No baggage fees for that trip. At that time Southwest had a $75 fee for a bike over 62 inches that I did not need to pay.
As far as I know, Delta and American both still do not charge extra for oversize fees on bikes but do charge for the bike as luggage, or at least that has been their policy for a year or two. I think United recently also dropped the oversize fees for bikes, but still would charge for the bike as a piece of luggage.
But, fees come and go, I do not know what their fees are now and I have no plans to research it at this time.
And maximum sizes still exist, each airline is different.
The only time I have paid a fee for bike transport on an airline was with my S&S bike, it was charged at the regular luggage rates but since it was 62 inches, no extra oversize fees. Those trips were international.