Delta Air Lines will now require domestic travelers to arrive at least 45 minutes before departure to check their baggage, marking a less lenient cutoff time.
Delta’s new baggage policy went into effect Tuesday and will be required for most domestic flights. Those traveling without checked baggage, meanwhile, will be required to arrive at the airport at least 30 minutes before takeoff.
Delta is changing its policy to allow travelers to have an “on-time and enjoyable flight with their bags,” a spokesperson for the airline said in a statement.
Some airports will require passengers to arrive even earlier than 45 minutes before takeoff. New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport will require guests with checked bags to arrive one hour prior to takeoff. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, meanwhile, requires attendees to arrive 45 minutes prior to departure, regardless of whether they are traveling with or without checked baggage.
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The new requirement comes just over a year after Delta raised its checked bag fees in March 2024, marking the first price increase since 2018. As of last year, checking one bag cost $35 and a second was $45.
The Washington Examiner has contacted Delta Air Lines for comment.
