Airline Baggage allowance explained.

Baggage allowance is the amount of baggage a traveller is allowed for his travel by an airline. Baggage allowance is measured in weight and all airlines have a policy with regards to the maximum weight of baggage that is permissible. Baggage is Classified in two categories Cabin baggage and Check-in baggage. An airline permits only up to a certain amount of weight that can be carried for your travel and this varies depending on the destination that you are travelling to the airline policy, etc. If a traveller exceeds the weight allowance then the traveller is liable to pay excess baggage allowance to the airline. In this article, we will discuss types of Baggage allowances and how baggage allowance is calculated.

Cabin Baggage/Carry on baggage/Hand Baggage:-  Carry on baggage or cabin baggage is the baggage which a passenger is allowed to carry on the aircraft or cabin which can be stored in the overhead bin. All major airlines allow cabin baggage free of charge, however, there are certain rules that need to be followed. A cabin bag should not weigh more than 7kgs in weight and should be as per specified dimension by the airline. For eg:- Emirates allows 1 cabin bag weighing up to 7kgs of weight however it should be as per the following dimension  55 x 38 x 20 (length+width+height). Some airlines also allow you to carry a personal item on board apart from this allowance like a laptop or a small bag, however, this is complete as per airline regulations. Hence before your flight, you can always check for baggage rules on the airline website. Besides these regulations Cabin baggage has also a restriction on carrying Liquids, gels or flammable objects. Essential things like medicine may require a prescription and policies vary from airline to airline.

 Checked Baggage/Tagged Baggage:-

Checked baggage is baggage allowance which is checked in and is stored in the luggage compartment of the aircraft. Checked baggage is of two types depending on which type of baggage policy the airline adopts.

1.Piece concept: –A piece concept allows a traveller to carry a piece of luggage as per specified dimensions, weight and size. As per this concept, a piece can be defined as a bag which weighs not more than 23kgs or 50 pounds and should be not more than 62 inches or 158 centimetres in dimension(length+width+height) . (**However please note the dimensions and weight mentioned may vary from airline to airline. ).Some airlines offer one piece of luggage while others offer 2 pieces however it is important to check for specified dimensions as well.   A traveller has to abide by these regulations else the airline will consider it as excess baggage. In an event when the bags are over the permissible weight limit or do not meet the set parameters in such a case the passenger is liable to pay an excess baggage fee. Some of the major airlines today allow purchasing excess baggage online. If a traveller is aware about baggage policy but has excess baggage and wants to carry the same he can choose to purchase excess luggage allowance online or at the airport, however, pre-paying for baggage online costs less. Currently, all airlines do not have this facility but major airlines do allow to purchase excess baggage allowance.

 (Tip:- If you have not purchased a ticket and want to know baggage allowance or get some information regarding seating about an airline you can visit seatguru.com this website provides valuable information with regards to baggage allowance, types of aircraft the airline operates, seat maps and a general review of the airline)

2.Weight concept: – This type of baggage policy has no restrictions on dimensions but has a restriction on weight. As per this policy, a traveller is allowed to carry a bag weighing a certain amount as per baggage policy as checked baggage. If the weight of the bag exceeds the specified limit the traveller is liable to pay for excess baggage. Most airlines allow two bags however a single bag should not exceed 32kgs

In case when the bag weighs more than the allowance excess baggage fees apply. As per IATA regulation excess baggage is calculated as 1.5 per cent of the full fare economy fare for each kg of excess baggage. The airline will charge for a minimum of 6kgs of excess baggage. What this means is even though passenger has 3kgs or 6kgs of excess baggage he will be charged for 6kgs as per rule.

Below we shall explain the calculation in brief.

Baggage allowance for BOM-SIN is 20 kgs however it is found that the passenger has 3 kgs of excess baggage. The Calculation as per IATA regulation will be as per below.

Y class fare for same flight is $500.

Hence $500 x 1.5% = $ 7.5

That is $ 7.5 for each kg of excess baggage.

However the minimum excess baggage allowed is for 6kg.

Hence $7.5 x 6= $ 45 even though there is only 3kgs of excess baggage.

In case it is found that the excess baggage is 9kgs it would be $ 7.5 x 9 = $ 67.50.

Above calculation applies only for international flights as per IATA regulation. However, all airlines do not follow the same method, Budget airlines charge excess baggage allowance as per their policies which are some times cheaper than IATA policies.

(TIP: – Always weigh your bag before you travel, in case weights of bag exceed the maximum baggage allowance it’s better to purchase excess baggage online before your flight which is comparatively cheaper and saves more than 50percent of your cost than paying for excess baggage at the airport.)

We hope this clears your concept on airline baggage allowance. If you have any questions are suggestions or question you can leave a comment below and we shall reply you at our earliest. If you like our article do subscribe and like us on Facebook.