How to check a bag for free.
There are many options for this.
When I started with the airlines (almost 40 years ago!), you were allowed 2 bags under 50lbs, free of charge. There was no charge for seats, no identification was asked for and smoking was allowed. Wow!! how things have changed. I was asked by reporter, Christopher Elliott.
how can someone check a bag without a fee. There are only a few ways to do that:
Buy a First or Business Class ticket.
Airline-sponsored credit cards allow one checked bag (Domestic Only).
Become a frequent flyer, once you get status, you will get many perks, including fee waived bag (usually only 1 each for you and whoever is booked in the same reservation.)
Carry-on-size bags can be checked at the gate for no charge.
This is only for the major airlines, some airlines charge for carry-on; Spirit. Some. Some do not charge at all; Southwest. But the rest of the airlines charge a fee for the domestic, main cabin. You can pre-pay when you purchase the ticket. If you are going internationally, there are different rules.