This Food Brand Wants to Pay for Your Checked Bags This Labor Day
Checked baggage charges began to creep in on U.S. flights during the late 2000s, and by 2018, most major carriers had raised the first bag fee to around $30. Today, it’s a regular line item in airline revenue reports. For passengers, though, it feels like a tax on simply wanting to bring your things along.
Now add one more wrinkle. The Transportation Security Administration limits liquids in carry-ons to 3.4 ounces. Sauces, dips, dressings, and other kitchen staples are forced into checked bags, which means paying that fee if you’re determined to bring them. For fans of ranch dressing, this has always meant tough choices: leave it at home or fork over the baggage fee. But this Labor Day weekend, one brand decided that you shouldn’t have to choose between keeping your wallet intact and bringing flavor along on the trip.
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Famartin
This Labor Day weekend, Hidden Valley Ranch decided to flip that frustration into a promotion. The brand announced it will cover checked bag fees for travelers who pack a full-size bottle of its dressing. It’s calling the offer “travel insurance for your taste buds.”
Here’s how it works: Between 1 p.m. ET on Friday, August 29, and 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, September 1, 2025, travelers can take a photo of their Hidden Valley Ranch bottle packed in their suitcase and post it on Instagram. The post has to include the hashtag #PackYourHiddenValleyRanchOffer and tag @Hidden.Valley.
Not leaving town? You can still join by reposting the brand’s official campaign image.
The first 1,000 eligible participants will receive a $35 prepaid card to help cover the cost of their checked bag. Winners will be contacted via direct message starting September 2.
Why It Matters
Labor Day is one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, with airports crowded by families heading to cookouts, road-trippers adding flights to their plans, and students squeezing in one last getaway before fall. Baggage fees spike the frustration for many of those travelers. By tying into this pain point, Hidden Valley Ranch is creating buzz while also making sure its most loyal fans don’t have to leave their favorite bottle behind.
It’s a clever marketing play. Food brands often fight for shelf space or digital ad clicks, but this promotion moves the conversation straight into travel culture. Pairing ranch dressing with luggage fees is odd enough to get people talking, which is precisely the point.
Image via Canva/chalabalaphotos
Airlines have relied on baggage fees for more than 15 years to cover rising labor and fuel costs. They’ve become an easy way for carriers to boost revenue without raising base fares. That’s what makes Hidden Valley’s $35 reimbursement so popular. For many travelers, it offsets a standard fee that has only climbed since airlines first introduced it in 2008.
What’s the Catch, Though?
Of course, like any promotion, there’s a catch. The offer is limited to the first 1,000 submissions. It requires a social media post, which means you have to be comfortable turning your ranch bottle into content. And you’ll only get reimbursed if you follow the instructions exactly.
Still, for brand fans, this is an easy way to turn what usually feels like a penalty into a perk. Pack the bottle, snap the photo, and let Hidden Valley Ranch pick up the tab.