Checked baggage allowances: weights, sizes and what your fare includes

The short version: 23kg is the usual standard

There’s no single law that sets checked baggage allowances; each airline sets its own. But on full-service airlines, the figures cluster around the same numbers. A standard economy bag is usually 23kg, or 50lb on US airlines, and the bag’s length, width and height added together usually can’t exceed 158cm (62 inches). Business and first class often allow heavier bags of 32kg (70lb).

Low-cost airlines work differently: no hold bag is included, and you choose a weight when you pay for one. The table below shows what each airline publishes on its own site.

What your fare actually includes

Airlines sell economy in tiers, and the checked bag is usually the first thing removed from the cheapest one. Virgin Atlantic’s Economy Light, for example, doesn’t include a free checked bag; Economy Classic and Economy Delight include one bag of up to 23kg. British Airways also sells economy fares with and without a checked bag, and its premium cabins include more: two 23kg bags in premium economy and two 32kg bags in business.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) warns that your fare may not include hold luggage, that the airline won’t add it automatically, and that allowances can vary across destinations on the same airline. Its own example is one airline allowing 15kg on flights to Tenerife but 23kg to Florida.

So before comparing fares, decide how many bags you’re taking, then compare the total price with those bags added.

Weight: per bag, not per passenger

On most airlines the weight limit applies to each bag separately. British Airways says the 23kg limit can’t be split between bags: two bags of 15kg and 31kg isn’t the same as two of 23kg. A bag between 23kg and 32kg pays a heavy bag charge if you’re over your allowance, and no bag may weigh more than 32kg.

easyJet is an exception: passengers on the same booking can pool their hold allowance across bags, as long as no single bag weighs more than 32kg. You can also add extra weight online in 3kg steps.

Treat 32kg as a hard ceiling in Europe. Ryanair says it doesn’t accept any single item heavier than 32kg for safety reasons, and United doesn’t accept checked bags over 100lb (about 45kg) at all.

Overweight and oversize bags

If your bag goes over the weight or size limit, you’ll usually pay a fee at the airport, and it can be more than the cost of a second bag. The airlines handle it differently:

• Delta charges separately for each limit a bag breaks, so a bag that’s both too big and too heavy pays two fees
• American charges the higher of the oversize or overweight fee, plus the normal checked bag fee
• easyJet charges an excess weight fee per kilogram, and it costs less to add weight online before you fly
• British Airways accepts some larger items, up to 190 x 75 x 65cm, as part of your allowance, but they must go to the oversize bag drop at least 90 minutes before the flight

Status, families and connecting flights

Frequent flyer status can add bags. Virgin Atlantic gives Flying Club Silver and Gold members an extra 23kg bag on flights it operates, and United gives its Premier members free bags on many routes. Infants travelling on a parent’s lap often get their own allowance: British Airways includes a 23kg checked bag for an infant without a seat.

On a journey with more than one airline, check every flight. British Airways says the allowance on connecting journeys is generally set by the airline operating the longest flight, which may not be the airline you booked with. Separate tickets are worse still, as each airline applies its own rules and you may pay for the bag twice. Our guide to self-transfer flights on separate tickets explains the risks.

What can’t go in a checked bag

Some things must stay with you in the cabin. Power banks and spare lithium batteries are banned from the hold, so take them in your hand luggage; see our guide to power bank rules on planes. Keep medicines, passports, keys and valuables with you too, in case your bag is delayed.

If you’d rather avoid checked bags altogether, our hand luggage sizes and bag fees guide compares cabin allowances, and our carry-on only checklist shows how to pack for two weeks in a cabin bag. And if your bag doesn’t arrive, see what to do about lost or delayed luggage.

Flying long-haul, such as London to New York or to Dubai, you’ll usually find a 23kg bag included on standard economy fares; on short European trips like London to Lisbon, expect to pay for one.

Questions people ask