China-US Flight Baggage Allowance 2026: Checked Baggage Rules by Fare Brand

Free checked bags on a China-US flight depend on the airline, the cabin, the fare brand on your ticket and, on some airlines, the ticket issue date. Air China, China Eastern and China Southern list two free pieces on most Economy brands; Air China's Standard brand and China Eastern's Basic Economy list one. United, Delta and American print no bag count that names China.

Quick answer by situation

• Entry-level brand (Basic, Standard): 1 piece on Air China Standard (Chinese-language piece-concept free baggage allowance PDF) and China Eastern Basic Economy (Free Baggage Allowance and Specifications). American's Checked bag policy gives Basic Economy a free first bag for travel to or from Asia, India and Qatar on tickets issued on or after 23 April 2026, but the page does not name China. Delta's Previous Checked Baggage Fees page has a China row for Delta Main Basic on tickets issued before 24 June 2026.
• Two large suitcases: pick a brand that lists 2 pieces: Air China Wuyou, Zhenxuan or Yuexuan; China Eastern Y/B, Flexible Economy or Standard Economy; China Southern Full Flex, Flex or Standard.
• Premium cabin: Air China and China Eastern list 2 pieces of 32 kg in First and Business; China Southern's Baggage Rules list 3 in First and 2 in Business. Delta's page gives a 70 lb limit but no count for Delta One and Delta First; United's Premier Status Benefits page lists 3 free premium-cabin bags for Premier members only.
• Infant or child: 1 piece of 23 kg on an Air China infant ticket; 1 piece of 10 kg for a China Southern infant without a seat on international itineraries (Baggage Rules).
• Sports equipment: China Southern's Baggage Rules let each passenger except an infant check one golf set and one ski set outside the free allowance on international flights; Air China counts listed equipment toward it, and China Eastern counts at most one listed item.
• Connecting, or a domestic leg inside China: China Southern's Baggage Rules give a mainland domestic segment of an international ticket the international allowance; Air China, Delta and American set their own through-check conditions (connecting section below).
• Elite status: use the tier table of the airline that operates your flight (elite-status section below).

How many free checked bags do Air China, China Eastern and China Southern give?

This table covers itineraries between the Chinese mainland and the United States.

Air China. The figures come from the piece-concept free baggage allowance, a Chinese-language PDF for tickets with a purchase date from 10 July 2026. The exact count is the one the system shows at ticketing; the PDF uses two Chinese names for Premium Economy, 悦享经济舱 and 超级经济舱. A free piece may total 158 cm (62 in) in length plus width plus height, including wheels and handles (Checked baggage page, Chinese-language, undated).

China Eastern. Section 1.2 of the English Free Baggage Allowance and Specifications page (undated), headed "Flights Including Africa, the Americas, Canada, the Middle East and Singapore Waypoints", puts flights that include the Americas in this group.

China Southern. The figures come from the Chinese-language PDF Baggage Rules (2026 first edition), effective 9 January 2026; the English Free Checked Baggage Allowance page (undated) agrees. The pages list "Economy Saver" (one piece fewer than Economy Standard) and "Economy Light" (no free checked bag) on "some routes" but not whether they are sold on China-US routes.

Best for and not for. Air China, China Eastern and China Southern: best for travellers who need checked baggage and can choose the fare brand, since the allowance depends on the brand; not for anyone who books by cabin name alone.

What do United, Delta and American say about free checked bags on China-US flights?

Delta's "Excess & Overweight Baggage Policy" page prints no 1st or 2nd bag fee for an international flight. United's Premier Status Benefits page gives no allowance or fee for passengers without Premier status and no China-specific figure; its footnote and Delta's pages point to a baggage calculator. American's newsroom release of 9 April 2026 says premium-cabin buyers keep complimentary bags, with no number given. American's Checked bag policy page says Main Plus includes 1 extra free checked bag above the Main Cabin allowance (maximum 2); check it for weight and size limits.

Best for and not for. American and Delta: best for travellers who want a fee table by region and ticket date, not for anyone who needs a China-specific bag count. United: best for Premier members, not for other travellers.

How big and how heavy can one checked bag be?

The free size limit is 158 cm (length plus width plus height) per piece on all three Chinese airlines. The largest piece an airline accepts is a different number. Delta's Excess & Overweight Baggage Policy page says bags of 100 lb (45.36 kg) or more are not allowed on flights within the United States and Canada; its Asia rows give no separate maximum.

What do the airlines list for an extra, overweight or oversize bag?

Amounts are as each page prints them, per piece unless noted.

Air China. Annex 2 (excess baggage charges, Chinese-language PDF, "20220610 version"), Zone 4: routes between the United States (including Hawaii) and the other Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Southwest Pacific.

A note in the extra-baggage column says overweight or oversize is paid separately and charged cumulatively, yet Zone 4 also has a row for a bag that is both; the page does not say how that row and the note work together. Air China charges in RMB at a terminal inside China, EUR in the euro area, CAD in Canada and USD elsewhere. It sets no maximum number of checked pieces, but a seventh or later paid piece needs an advance request to an Air China office or station and is accepted only if the flight's load allows; Air China does not promise it arrives with you.

China Eastern. English Excess Baggage Fees page (undated), routes between the Chinese mainland and the Americas, in RMB.

The page says oversize, overweight and extra-baggage fees are charged cumulatively and overweight charges are payable in the currency of the country or region; it does not say what is charged on a departure from the United States.

China Southern. Two pages print different EUR and USD amounts for the same group, so both are shown: the Chinese-language rules PDF (effective 9 January 2026) calls it "route group 1", the English Excess Baggage page (undated) "Area 1". Both cover the Chinese mainland (with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) to the Americas.

An itinerary starting in the Chinese mainland (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) is charged in CNY, one starting in Europe in EUR and every other start in USD; a bag that exceeds two or more limits (pieces, size, weight) is charged cumulatively. The rules document says the Chinese version prevails; neither set is picked here.

Delta and American. Delta's "Excess & Overweight Baggage Policy" page (undated) lists these each-way amounts in USD/CAD/EUR (CAD or EUR amounts are charged when exiting Canada or Europe): between "Asia" and "Everywhere", bags 3-10 $200 each, overweight 51-70 lb (23-31.75 kg) $100 and 71 to under 100 lb (32-45.36 kg) $200; between "Asia / Middle East / Australia / India" and "Everywhere", oversize 63-80 in (161-203 cm) $175, and bags over 80 in are not permitted. Delta charges a separate fee for each limit a bag exceeds (quantity, weight, size); an extra bag that is both overweight and oversize pays three fees. American's overweight and oversize amounts are on a separate page not covered here; United's page prints none.

Whose rules apply when you connect, buy a codeshare ticket or hold two tickets?

Does elite status, a student ticket or an infant ticket add to the allowance?

Does elite status add a bag?

United's Premier tiers are in the table above. Delta's "Medallion & Credit Card Bag Allowance" page waives the first checked-bag fee for Medallion and SkyTeam Elite or Elite Plus members. Between the U.S. or Canada and international destinations, a Medallion member gets one additional free bag up to 50 lb over the standard allowance in Delta Main or Delta Comfort, and up to 3 free bags of 70 lb in Delta One or Delta First; in Delta Premium Select, all four tiers get 3 free bags. The other airlines:

Does a student ticket add a bag?

China Southern's pages give international students an extra piece (English page, section 2.3, and the Chinese rules): 1 piece on top of the adult standard for an international student in Premium Economy or Economy, subject to the system display. The student must be under 30 and study at a regular school, college or university outside the country of nationality, with copies of a valid passport, visa and study certificate provided at purchase. It covers only fares between the country of study and the country of nationality (the Economy list includes the Chinese mainland, excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, with North America), and not Economy Saver, Economy Light or students already entitled to the corresponding free allowance through Sky Pearl Platinum, Gold or Silver status or partner-airline Elite or Elite Plus status. China Eastern's Free Baggage Allowance and Specifications page has a student section for passengers over 12 that lists no extra piece. Air China's piece-concept PDF gives no fixed student allowance: for student passengers, it is the one shown at purchase and on the issued ticket.

Does an infant ticket add a bag?

Each airline sets its own infant rule; see our guide to infant tickets on China flights.

• Air China: an infant ticket gets 1 piece of 23 kg (50 lb) in any cabin, plus one free folding stroller, cradle or infant car seat.
• China Southern: a child has the same free allowance as an adult. An infant without a seat has 1 piece of 10 kg (22 lb), three sides up to 115 cm (45 in), plus a free folding stroller, or one cradle, or one child safety seat.
• China Eastern: the "Infant Passengers" section lists the routes where an infant without a seat gets 1 piece (10 kg, 115 cm), none on Basic Economy, and may check a stroller free; the Americas are not on that list, so the page names no infant allowance for them.
• Delta: strollers and FAA-approved child car seats are free and do not count toward the allowance; an unticketed infant or child has no allowance. A child on an international ticket at 10% of the adult fare gets 1 checked bag up to 20 lb (10 kg) with length plus width plus height up to 45 in, plus one fully collapsible stroller or push-chair; at 50% or more, the standard allowance applies.

What do the airlines say about sports equipment, strollers and wheelchairs?

Sports equipment.

• Air China, Annex 3 (Chinese-language PDF, "20220610 version"): golf bags, ski and water-ski equipment (not sleds), diving, archery and tennis equipment and bicycles count toward the free allowance, with the excess charged under Annex 2 and oversize not charged separately. Surfboards, kayaks and some other items have per-piece amounts in the Annex 3 table.
• China Eastern (Fee Regulations for Excess Special Baggage, undated): at most one item among bicycles, golf, fishing, bowling, musical instruments, ice hockey, diving, archery, shooting and ski equipment counts toward the free allowance; the "America" column lists RMB 1,000 for an extra piece with its longest side up to 203 cm, 1,000 for oversize only and 2,000 for both; items longer than 203 cm need China Eastern's approval, and one special piece may not exceed 32 kg (45 kg on flights including USA waypoints).
• China Southern (rules, international flights): except for infants, each passenger may check one golf set free without using the allowance (up to 23 kg, three sides up to 158 cm) and one ski set (up to 23 kg, up to 203 cm). Except for infants, one fishing set counts toward the allowance (up to 23 kg, 158 cm), as does other sports equipment within those limits.
• Delta ("Flying With Sports Equipment"): one golf bag per passenger is a standard checked bag, charged at standard fees. Items over 115 linear inches (292 cm), or 100 lb (45 kg) or more, are not accepted.
• United and American: check each airline's sports-equipment page for its allowance and fees.

Wheelchairs and assistive devices. Air China's Annex 3 says wheelchairs for disabled, injured or ill passengers on US routes are carried free with no limit on the number, plus one more assistive device such as a portable oxygen concentrator (POC) or CPAP machine. China Eastern's page says assistive devices for disabled passengers, wheelchairs included, are not counted in the free allowance and travel free as an additional item.

Pets. Air China's Annex 3 and China Southern's rules both give pets separate rules; see our guide to flying with a pet from China.

What should you check before you book?

1. The fare brand printed on your ticket, not only the cabin name.
2. The ticket issue date: American's 22 and 23 April 2026 line, Delta's 24 June 2026 line, Air China's purchase date from 10 July 2026, China Southern's rules effective 9 January 2026.
3. Which airline operates each flight and which sells it, whether you hold one ticket or separate tickets, and whether a domestic segment inside China is part of the international ticket.
4. The largest piece the airline accepts: Air China 32 kg; China Eastern 45 kg on "other North American routes"; China Southern 45 kg on itineraries involving the United States.
5. Special items, including sports equipment and pets, on the airline's special-baggage page.
6. Status benefits in the airline's own tier table, including which flights qualify.

Before you pack for or leave China, read our guide to China airport customs rules (cash limit, declaration, prohibited items and security). Travelling to the United States on a Chinese passport? Our EVUS registration guide explains who must enroll.

FAQ

Is the free allowance the same as the biggest bag the airline accepts?

No. Air China's Checked baggage page lists 32 kg and 203 cm as the largest ordinary piece and says these limits are not the free allowance. China Southern's rules say the same of theirs.

Does Basic Economy get a free bag on American on China flights?

American's page lists fees by region and does not name China. Its Trans-Pacific footnote says the free checked bag includes Basic Economy for travel to or from Asia on tickets issued on or after 23 April 2026; Basic Economy on tickets issued on or before 22 April 2026 carries a $75 first-bag fee.

Which airline's baggage rules apply on a codeshare ticket?

China Southern applies either the operating carrier's or the marketing carrier's rules, depending on the bilateral agreement. American says status bags may not apply to partner-operated codeshare flights, and United limits Premier free bags to flights it or United Express operates.

Does a domestic leg inside China on an international ticket follow the international allowance?

On China Southern, yes: a China-mainland domestic segment that is part of international carriage gets the free allowance of the international itinerary. Air China's Checked baggage page applies the international size limit to such a flight.

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