Checked baggage fees on domestic flights for International travelers?

I flew Delta domestic to ATL, then international, and was able to check my bag for free both there and back, as it was considered part of an international flight. Not sure how that would work out if you're using different airlines for different legs.

I flew United on my recent trip. I had two separate itineraries because I had booked part of it with frequent flier points. The check-in person was going to charge me for luggage, but then asked about my onward flights, and said she would waive the charge since I also had international flights. I didn't ask for this, I had just pulled out my credit card ready to pay. If you use the automated check-in machines, you won't get any option but to pay the fee. If the domestic flights are attached to your international itinerary, I think the fee is waived, but I would do counter check-in to make sure.

If the flights were purchased as part of an international itinerary the fees do not apply. Not all of them were booked on the same itinerary, unfortunately.

I had a flight on Alaskan from Vancouver, BC to LA, then a V Australia flight to Sydney. I called the Alaskan call center before I left and was told that as long as I could prove I was flying out of the US within 12 hours of landing, my baggage fees would be waived at check in. The check in agent confirmed this, which saved me about $40. Obviously YMMV, but it's definitely worth a call into the airlines call center to check.

Not all of them were booked on the same itinerary, unfortunately. Then I would say you're in for some baggage fees.

Keep your boarding pass for your international flight into the US. Whenever I have presented it for a connecting domestic flight, I have had my baggage fee waived (even on a different itinerary).

It doesn't hurt to ask, but I was pretty pissed a couple of years ago when Delta charged me for baggage on a domestic leg of an international itinerary to and within the US. It was all Delta, all part of a one big itinerary booked at the same time.

I just had two weeks in the States and while I was there flew from New York to Columbus, OH, outwards on US Air and back on American. Both times the $25 fee was charged for my checked bag. The fee is, I believe, only waived if your internal flight forms part of your international itinerary (i.e. if you fly from outside the US into a hub and from there on an internal flight to your final destination).

The fee is, I believe, only waived if your internal flight forms part of your international itinerary (i.e. if you fly from outside the US into a hub and from there on an internal flight to your final destination). I'm getting this feeling from advice here and elsewhere.