Baggage essentials. Tips and instructions.
Transportations of baggage is an essential part of traveling. Every airline has different rules and baggage policy about baggage allowances. It is important to know exactly what to look for on a website of a certain airline. Do you know how to check-in your baggage? What are the baggage allowances? How is baggage divided and what to be careful of?
Allowable size and weight of your bag
Hand baggage – can be brought with you on board and should be stored in the aircraft’s overhead lockers. The standard-sized bag is no more than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm. The weight of the hand baggage should not be bigger than 5 kg with low-cost airlines (some airlines allow also 7 kg, bmibaby allows even 10 kg).
Checked baggage – baggage transported in baggage hold of an airplane. Size and weight restrictions differ from airline to airline. In general, in economy class the weight of the bag must not exceed 15 -23 kg and the sum of all three sizes must not exceed 158 cm. Some airlines, especially low-cost airlines, charge a fee for check-in and transport of baggage. The fee varies and is it important to check the exact price at the airline websites or at FlyLowCostAirlines.org, where you find the airline in a Airlines list and then in the airline´s detail you find the fees.
Excess baggage
- If any of your bags are over the maximum weight or size limit, you must pay for every kg which is over the limit. Excess baggage fees vary from airline to airline but they are quite high at every lowcost airline. Airlines such as Ryanair and WizzAir charge a fee € 15/kg.
- Some airlines enable an on-line payment of this fee, e.g. Czech Airlines offer 33% off if the excess baggage fee is paid on-line.
Special baggage
- Transport of strollers and wheelchairs – wheelchairs and other medical devices are transported for free. Most of the airlines transport for free also strollers. They should be fully-collapsible. After the arrangements made before the travel you might hand over the stroller into the baggage hold right before entering the airplane.
- Transport of sporting and musical equipment – sporting equipment can be transported with every airline. You should be aware of quite high fees. They vary from airline to airline. Most often is transported skiing, diving, cycling and golf equipment.
Banned and restricted items
- Banned and restricted items that cannot be carried in a hand baggage are e.g. weapons and their imitations, knives, munition, caustics, acids and other dangerous chemicals, magnetic and radioactive materials. You should also be aware of commonly used objects: cigarette lighters, batteries, nail scissors, nail-files or aerosols.
- Banned items are withdrawn before entering the plane and passenger do not get any compensation for them. Baggage are controlled properly so you should check your baggage in advance. If you want to transport similar items on an airplane, you should put them in your checked baggage.
Check your airline’s baggage policy:
North American airlines
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: JetBlue
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Virgin America
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Spirit Airlines
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Southwest Airlines
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Air Transat
- Delta baggage allowance
- Baggage policy: United Airways
- Alaska Airlines baggage allowance
European airlines
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Ryanair
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: easyJet
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Vueling
- Air France luggage allowance 2012
- Airlines’ baggage policy: Alitalia 2012
- Baggage policy: Lufthansa
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Jet2
- Low-cost arlines’ baggage policy – Germanwings
- Low-cost airline’s baggage policy – Pegasus Airlines
- Low-cost airline’s baggage policy – Norwegian Air Shuttle
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Wizz Air
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Thomas Cook Airlines
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Air Southwest
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Arkefly
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Condor
- Baggage policy: Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Cimber Air
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Monarch Airlines
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Jetairfly
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Air One
- Baggage allowance – Spanair
- easyJet – baggage allowance in 2011
- Baggage allowance and restrictions: Brussels Airlines
- Baggage policy: Swiss International Air Lines
- British Airways baggage allowance
- Aer Lingus – baggage allowance
- Baggage allowance: KLM
- Baggage policy: Corendon
- Air Berlin – baggage policy
- Baggage policy Transavia
- Austrian Airlines’ baggage policy
- Flybe: baggage allowance
- Iceland Express’ baggage allowance
- Lauda Air – baggage policy
- Czech Airlines baggage allowance
- Malev baggage allowance – new baggage policy
- TAP – Baggage Allowance
- Bmibaby – baggage allowance
Asian and Indian airlines
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: AirAsia
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Cebu Pacific
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Firefly
- Baggage allowance: Cathay Pacific
- Baggage allowance: JetLite
- Malaysia Airlines: baggage allowance
Others
the Middle East and Africa
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Jet4you
- Low cost airlines’ baggage policy: Air Arabia
- Emirates baggage allowance
- Etihad Airways’ baggage allowance
Australia & New Zealand
Asian airlines
Africa, Airlines, Airports, Asia, Australia, New Zealand etc., Baggage allowance, Emirates, Europe, North America, Other, South and Central America
You seem to have omitted the restrictions on liquids above 100mls in carry on bags?
Hi Mick, we haven’t forgotten about the liquids restrictions, but it would make the article too long. We’re going to bring this information in a separate article.
I would like to share an incident,
On my Holiday to Singpore from Mumbai we were Asked to open our Bags at the airport by the Authorities. I was thankfully carrying Samsonite Bags which has sorted Compartments which made the checking easier and faster.
Got out withing 15 minutes,
That’s the reason i would suggest a Samsonite to any traveler.
Its user friendly, easy to handle, light in weight and pretty affordable.
The Link would be of a lot of help
bit.ly/4nVn01