Delta Baggage Policy: Allowances, Fees and Lost Bag Claims

Delta is generous with cabin bags and strict about checked-bag deadlines. Most problems people run into are paying more than they needed to at check-in, or reporting a damaged bag too late to claim. This guide covers what you can bring, what it costs on US domestic flights, and exactly what to do when a bag goes missing.

In this guide (6)

We are an independent guide, not Delta. To pay for bags, track a bag or file a claim, use delta.com or the Fly Delta app.

Carry-on: what fits for free

Every Delta passenger can bring one carry-on bag and one personal item at no charge.

• Carry-on bag: up to 22 × 14 × 9 inches (56 × 35 × 23 cm), including wheels and handles, and no more than 45 linear inches (114 cm) in total.
• Personal item: something that fits under the seat in front of you, such as a handbag, laptop bag, small backpack or camera bag.
• Extras that don't count: a jacket or umbrella, food or drink bought after security, duty-free shopping, and items such as strollers, child safety seats, wheelchairs and crutches.

On a full flight, gate staff may check your carry-on to the hold. Keep medicine, keys, documents and electronics in your personal item so they stay with you. On small Delta Connection aircraft, different carry-on rules apply.

Checked bag fees on US domestic flights

At the time of writing (October 2026), Delta's published fees for Delta Main and Delta Comfort passengers on domestic flights are:

These fees apply if you don't have Medallion status, an eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express card or active military status, all of which can reduce or waive them. In Delta One and Delta First the free weight per bag rises to 70 lb.

Things that change the price:

• When you bought your ticket. Delta applies the fee table that was valid on your ticketing date, so an older booking may have lower fees.
• International trips. Allowances and fees vary by route and fare, so the domestic table above doesn't apply. Delta's baggage calculator, in My Trips or on the baggage page, gives the figure for your exact itinerary.
• Excess, overweight and oversize bags cost extra. Fees and limits are on Delta's excess baggage page.

You can pay for bags during the 24-hour check-in window on delta.com, in the Fly Delta app, or at an airport kiosk. At most domestic airports, SkyMiles members can also pay with miles.

Damaged, delayed or lost: the deadlines that matter

Delta handles each problem differently, and the reporting windows are short.

The 6-hour domestic damage window applies to tickets issued from 8 October 2025. Older tickets had 24 hours. Some damage, such as damage to wheelchairs or hidden damage, has a longer window.

While you wait for a delayed bag, Delta reimburses reasonable essentials such as clothing and toiletries. Keep itemised receipts showing the merchant, date, items, total and payment method. Buy only what you need short-term. If the bag is later declared lost, what you've already been paid is deducted from the final settlement.

Liability limits. Delta's liability is capped at $4,700 per passenger on domestic trips, the maximum US rules allow. On most international trips the Montreal Convention cap of 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (roughly US$2,175, according to the DOT) applies. These are ceilings, not guaranteed payouts, and you will need to prove the value of what you lost.

US rules: when Delta must refund your bag fee

Since the US Department of Transportation's refund rule took effect, airlines must refund a checked bag fee when the bag is lost or significantly delayed. Significantly delayed means not delivered within:

• 12 hours of arrival on domestic flights
• 15 hours on international flights of 12 hours or less
• 30 hours on international flights longer than 12 hours

You must file a mishandled baggage report to qualify. There are exceptions, for example if you didn't collect and re-check your bag at the first US entry point, if you agreed to travel without it, or if you checked in late or flew standby. Delta lists the same thresholds and exceptions on its baggage page.

The same DOT rule also requires refunds of other paid extras, such as seats or Wi-Fi, when the airline fails to provide them.

Practical tips

• Photograph your bag and its contents before you travel. It makes damage claims far easier.
• Put your name, phone number and email on a tag both inside and outside the bag.
• Use Delta's bag tracking in the app. You can also share an Apple AirTag location with Delta for a delayed bag.
• If your bag was opened by TSA, damage from that search is a TSA matter, not Delta's.

Beware of fake helplines. Many "Delta baggage claim" numbers found through search ads are not Delta. Start claims only from delta.com or the Fly Delta app, and never pay anyone to "speed up" a bag search.

Bottom line

Carry-on is free, while checked bags on domestic flights cost $45 and $55 at the time of writing unless you have status or a co-branded card. If something goes wrong, the clock matters most: report damage within hours, not days, keep every receipt, and claim your bag fee back if the bag arrives late.