Travel Trick: Save On Baggage Fees With a Media Pass

If you’re a content creator, you probably know all too well the joys of trying to lug all your equipment with you on an airplane!

Baggage fees are expensive, and when you add in things like laptops, cameras, drones, hard drives, etc., you can end up using your entire luggage allowance just on equipment to do your job — forget about any clothing or toiletries!

However, there’s a travel trick I use to get around paying outrageous fees for carrying my gear with me on flights: a media pass.

Did you know many airlines offer media discounts or fee exemptions for equipment as luggage? Don’t worry, I read the fine print on this money-saving trick so you don’t have to.

How Media Baggage Rates Work

Most U.S. airlines charge baggage fees of around $35 to $60 per bag — but these bags typically must be under 50 pounds. If you go over that, you could be paying anywhere from another $30 to $300 per bag, each way, depending on the airline and your destination.

Media baggage rates, on the other hand, are usually a flat rate of around $50 per bag — but the difference is you get a weight limit of up to 100 pounds. And you can often bring as many as 25 bags with you. (Although 25 bags at $50 each is still a lot of money, so don’t bring your entire studio if you don’t need it!)

So, if your bag is under 50 pounds, you may not need the media rate at all. But if you’re lugging a lot of extra weight or extra bags with you, getting media approval could save you serious cash.

How To Access a Media Baggage Rate

Each airline has its own policy for how you’ll get approved as media — so you might have to do some digging. Some require you to submit your request several days in advance, while others will just ask you to show your credentials at check-in.

You should be able to find out whether an airline offers a media baggage rate on the airline’s website. It’s usually lumped in with the sections on sporting equipment or unusual baggage. If you can’t find it, contact the airline directly.

They may also have specific rules about what type of media is eligible. Right now, every airline on this list ties the media rate to working for a media company, like a TV network, broadcaster or commercial film company. Some go further: JetBlue says its media rate isn’t available if your main content lives on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or gaming channels.

If you’re taking any connecting flights with different airlines, you’ll also want to check that all the carriers you’re traveling with will recognize your credentials.

You’ll definitely want to reach out to the airline ahead of time and find out what allowances they make for media, rather than be denied last minute with an extra 150 pounds worth of equipment and charged a ton of extra money.

RELATED: Baggage Delay Insurance: How It Works

How To Get a Media Pass

No matter whether you apply in advance or at check-in, you’ll need to prove you work in the media industry. If you work for a company, you probably have a branded media pass or a business card that shows your title and employer.

If you belong to any kind of professional organization, like a media association or union, you may also be able to get a media or press pass through them.

If you’re a content creator who works for yourself (like me!), things get trickier. Airlines decide who counts as media, and most want proof that you work for a media company, such as company-issued ID or a business card.

A self-made pass isn’t guaranteed to be accepted, and some airlines won’t accept creators at all, so ask the airline before you travel and get the answer in writing. If you do have a legitimate production business, our downloadable media pass template can help you organize your information, but it’s not an official credential.

U.S. Airlines That Offer Reduced Media Baggage Rates

When it comes to media rates, no one rule applies to all airlines. Each one has its own rates and own criteria.

Here’s how the most popular carriers in the U.S. compare.

. . .

American Airlines

• Rate per bag: $60 domestic; $90 international
• Maximum weight: 100 lbs

With American Airlines, you can get a special rate and increased baggage allowance for equipment such as cameras, film, lighting, sound equipment, and musical instruments.

For domestic flights within the U.S., you’ll be charged $60 per bag, and you won’t have to worry about any fees for overweight or oversized bags.

American Airlines normally charges bag fees of about $50 for a first bag and $60 for a second on domestic flights, and only for bags under 50 pounds. Anything over that and American Airlines charges anywhere from $30 to $450 on top of that, depending on where you’re flying to and how many pounds you’re over by. That can result in hundreds of dollars in extra fees fast!

To prove your eligibility, you’ll need to present company-issued identification or a business card and your government-issued photo ID.

. . .

Delta Air Lines

• Rate per bag: $50 for domestic; $70 for international
• Maximum weight: 100 lbs

Delta will let you bring camera, film, video, lighting, and sound equipment as baggage for a reduced rate, provided you’re a representative of a television or commercial film-making company.

The reduced media rate is a flat rate of $50 per bag on domestic flights within the U.S., or $70 for international flights. Bags must be under 100 pounds — however, if you’re flying to, from, or through Europe, South Africa, or the UAE, your bag can be no more than 70 pounds.

Delta’s normal baggage rates start in the $40s for a first bag under 50 pounds. But for additional bags or anything over the weight limit, you’d owe anywhere from $100 to $285 per bag, depending on your destination.

To use this on Delta, you’ll need to show your media credentials when you check in. Or, if you don’t want to risk a last-minute denial, you can also submit your credentials via email at least 24 hours before departure.

. . .

JetBlue

• Rate per bag: $50
• Maximum weight: 99 lbs

JetBlue will allow you to bring camera, film, video, lighting, and sound equipment if you’re representing a television network or film-making company. However, they do note that this is subject to space availability.

Approved media reps will pay a flat fee of $50 per checked bag each way, up to 99 pounds.

The normal charge runs $150 for each oversized or overweight bag (on top of its usual bag fees, which start in the mid-$40s for a first bag on most fares).

Media rates aren’t available on JetBlue’s Base fares, or for group and JetBlue Vacations bookings, so book a higher fare if you want to use one.

Another downside is that JetBlue has a long list of routes that are ineligible for media bag fares, including New York (JFK) to Bermuda and Boston to Santo Domingo. You’ll need to check the JetBlue website for the full list of excluded routes. The rate also isn’t available on codeshare or interline flights, and JetBlue limits how many media bags each plane can carry.

To access the media rate, you’ll need to fill out JetBlue’s media submission form and email it at least three business days before your flight. You’ll also need to include a scanned image of your company ID or media credentials.

. . .

Southwest Airlines

• Rate per bag: $75 (3rd bag and up).
• Maximum weight: 100 lbs

Southwest is no longer the unicorn in the airline industry offering two free checked bags. Its standard fees are now $35 for a first bag and $45 for a second, and a third bag or more costs $150.

For large media camera equipment, the third-bag-and-up fee drops to $75, and Southwest waives its usual overweight and oversize charges (up to 100 pounds and 110 inches). That’s a big deal, because overweight bags normally cost $100 to $200 on top of the standard bag fee. Your first and second bags still cost the regular price, so the media rate only saves you money on the extra bags and the heavy ones.

. . .

United Airlines

• Rate per bag: $50 within North America; $70 outside North America
• Maximum weight: 99.9 lbs per bag

On United, you can travel with a media bag at a flat rate of $50 within North America and $70 internationally.

United’s baggage rates vary depending on your destination and when you bought your ticket, so check its bag fee calculator before you fly. Overweight and extra bags cost more, and United won’t accept bags over 100 pounds.

To prove your eligibility, you’ll need to show your media credentials and clearly label all your media equipment cases with your company’s information.

TL;DR

If you travel with a lot of heavy equipment, like cameras and computers, you can score a reduced rate on all that luggage.

Most airlines have media rates for people who work with media companies. You’ll need to show credentials from a media company, and you should confirm with the airline before you fly. Our media pass template can help you organize your details, and you could save hundreds of dollars on your next flight.

I Read the Fine Print

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