There’s a reason airline passengers pay so much attention to baggage fees. Depending on the airline, the ticket you’ve purchased and how much luggage you’re bringing, those extra charges can add up pretty quickly. And once airlines figure out they can charge us for something, they’re generally not in a huge hurry to start giving it away for free.
So when an airline announces that passengers can check something without paying an additional fee, it’s worth taking a closer look. Especially when that something isn’t exactly the kind of thing most people would think to put in their checked luggage.
Over the years, a few airlines have made exceptions for certain items. Now Delta is following Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines with a new free checked-item benefit that could be particularly appealing to people visiting California.
Delta’s new Sip, Savor & Fly With SkyMiles program
Delta recently introduced a program called Sip, Savor & Fly With SkyMiles, which allows eligible passengers to check a case of wine for FREE when flying out of five California airports.
Those airports are Oakland (OAK), Sacramento (SMF), San Francisco (SFO), San Jose (SJC) and Sonoma County (STS). To qualify, passengers must be at least 21 years old, have an active SkyMiles membership and be traveling on an eligible Delta-operated flight to a destination within the United States.
And we’re not talking about a bottle or two that you picked up at a winery. Delta will allow you to check a case containing up to 12 standard 750 mL bottles of wine, without paying the usual checked baggage fee.
There are limits, of course. The case can’t weigh more than 50 pounds (23 kg), and it has to stay within Delta’s standard checked baggage size limit of 62 linear inches. For comparison, a typical case of wine measures roughly 14″ x 11″ x 13″ and weighs somewhere around 35 to 40 pounds when full. So assuming it’s packed properly, a standard case should be well within those limits.
How the program works
Delta has made the process pretty straightforward. According to the airline’s official program page, there are three steps:
Purchase your wine
Buy your favorite wines from participating wine regions and securely pack them in an approved wine shipping box or travel container.
Check it for free
Bring your wine case to the Delta ticket counter for inspection and check-in. Eligible passengers can check one qualifying case at no additional charge on eligible Delta-operated flights.
Pick it up at your destination
Collect your wine at baggage claim when you arrive, just as you would with any other checked bag.
Of course, there are terms and conditions. Because this IS an airline we’re talking about. 😉
Delta isn’t the first airline to do this
As nice as Delta’s new benefit sounds, it’s not exactly a groundbreaking idea. Alaska Airlines has offered its Wine Flies Free program for years, and Southwest introduced its own version, called Sip and Ship, in April 2026.
Alaska’s program allows eligible Atmos Rewards members to check one case of wine for free when departing from participating airports. And Alaska’s list is considerably longer than Delta’s.
Participating airports include Arcata-Eureka (ACV), Bellingham (BLI), Boise (BOI), Burbank (BUR), Eugene (EUG), Everett (PAE), Fresno (FAT), Idaho Falls (IDA), Los Angeles (LAX), Long Beach (LGB), Medford (MFR), Monterey (MRY), Oakland (OAK), Ontario (ONT), Orange County (SNA), Palm Springs (PSP), Pasco (PSC), Portland (PDX), Pullman (PUW), Redding (RDD), Redmond (RDM), Sacramento (SMF), San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO), San Jose (SJC), San Luis Obispo (SBP), Santa Barbara (SBA), Seattle (SEA), Sonoma County (STS), Spokane (GEG), Sun Valley (SUN), Walla Walla (ALW), Wenatchee (EAT) and Yakima (YKM).
Southwest’s program is a little different because you don’t even need to belong to Rapid Rewards to take advantage of it. Its participating airports are spread across four states:
California: Burbank, Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Ontario, Orange County/Santa Ana, Palm Springs, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Barbara and Sonoma County.
Idaho: Boise.
Oregon: Eugene and Portland.
Washington: Seattle/Tacoma and Spokane.
So Delta hasn’t exactly discovered some previously untapped corner of the wine-transportation market. Every airport included in its new program is already covered by Alaska or Southwest.
But that doesn’t make the benefit useless. If Delta has the better fare, a more convenient schedule or a nonstop flight that works better for you, being able to bring home a case of wine without paying an additional baggage fee is a pretty nice little bonus.
The bottom line
It’s not every day an airline introduces a new perk that doesn’t involve signing up for a credit card, buying a more expensive ticket or paying for some sort of premium upgrade. And while Delta is playing catch-up with Alaska and Southwest, I’m certainly not going to complain about another airline deciding to make something FREE.
Of course, the benefit is only useful if you’re actually planning to bring home a case of wine. But for travelers visiting California’s wine regions, that could be a pretty significant savings.
And let’s face it, if you’ve spent your vacation visiting wineries and sampling everything they have to offer, there’s a decent chance you’ll want to bring a few bottles home.
For once, an airline is making it cheaper to bring home MORE baggage. I’ll drink to that. 😉
