Baggage essentials

You can check in more bags than your ticket permits when you pay to increase your baggage allowance.

If you are travelling on our hand baggage only (Economy Basic) fare, you are charged extra to put any bags into the hold as these fares do not include checked baggage.

The cost of each additional hold bag depends on your destination and how many more bags you want to check in over your hold allowance.

See your baggage allowance and cost of extra bags using the calculator. More bags can only be paid for and carried when space is available, and excess baggage is permitted, on your flight. In some destinations, additional local taxes may also apply for additional bags carried in excess of your ticketed allowance.

The best price for adding to your checked baggage allowance is found through your Manage My Booking before you get to the airport. You can pay by card, Avios from your Executive Club account or a combination of the two. Charges for extra bags checked in at the airport are not discounted and must be paid by card.

If you have more than two pieces of hand baggage, or they’re over the permitted size, your larger bags may have to go into the hold as checked bags. Each one counts towards your total hold baggage allowance and could be charged as excess baggage if you already have bags checked in.

Label all your checked bags inside and out with your name, mobile number and/or email address.

Booked through a travel agency/online travel website? The option to pay for additional bags will only be available once the booking has been finalised by the agent. Contact them directly if you cannot access Manage My Booking.

If your journey includes a flight with another airline, the number of checked bags allowed per customer may be different. Check before you fly.

British Airways will refund any pre-payment of the extra baggage charge that is cancelled online before check-in. British Airways is unable to accept any refund claim, or any changes to the pre-payment of extra baggage, once the flight has departed. Unless otherwise stated, British Airways will only make a refund to the credit card used to pre-pay the extra baggage charge. Delayed, lost or damaged extra baggage will be dealt with in accordance with the General Conditions of Carriage, clauses 15 and 16.

If you have more than two pieces of hand baggage, or they’re over the permitted size, you may have to put your larger bags into the hold as checked baggage.

When you’ve used your free checked baggage allowance, you’ll have to pay to put any extra bags into the hold. Check your baggage allowance using the calculator below. Please note, the carriage of excess baggage is subject to availability. In some destinations, additional local taxes may also apply.

If your journey includes a flight with another airline, their allowances may be different. Please check before you fly.

If your checked baggage weighs more than your allowance, you may have to pay a heavy bag charge. Check your baggage allowance in the calculator.

We charge 65 GBP / 75 EUR / 100 USD / 100 CAD per overweight bag and one-way journey. If you’re flying from a country that uses a different local currency, the GBP amount will be converted to the local currency. In some destinations, additional local taxes may also apply.

At many airports, including London Heathrow, London Gatwick and in North America, you can only pay using a credit or debit card. Cash is not accepted and Avios cannot be used for this payment. 

British Airways’ 23kg baggage weight limit applies to each bag and can’t be split between multiple bags. Bags over 32kg won’t be accepted as checked baggage.

If your journey includes a flight with another airline, their baggage allowances may be different. Please check before you fly.

The maximum dimensions for an oversize bag in the hold are 190 x 75 x 65 cm.

A bag larger than the standard size, but within these maximum dimensions, is known as an oversize or out-of-gauge bag. It’s accepted as part of your checked baggage allowance, but tell us you’re bringing it, and check it in early, as it may need individual handling.

Let us know when you book, or at least 48 hours before your flight, by using the online chat on our Help page especially if your oversize baggage item is sports equipment, such as a bike, skis or a golf bag.

Also, any oversize bag must be checked in at the out-of-gauge bag drop at least 90 minutes (one and a half hours) before your flight to ensure it has the best chance of travelling with you.

You cannot pool, share or combine your checked baggage allowance with another traveller, even someone in your travel party.

For security reasons, you must only check in bags that you've packed yourself. You are responsible for any bag that is linked to your name in the booking.

For any single bag that is over the maximum weight or number allowed on your ticket, you may be charged a heavy bag or extra bag charge.

On journeys with connecting flights that use a single booking reference, even if it includes other airline codes, your baggage allowance is generally determined by the airline that operates the longest flight in your itinerary.

You can usually check in your bags to arrive at your final destination if:

• All your flights are under a single booking reference and ticket number, or
• Your flights are with oneworld airlines under a single booking reference, even if you have separate ticket numbers.

If you’ve booked separate flights with different booking references to get to your final destination each flight is considered a separate journey. This applies even if all your flights are with British Airways, BA Cityflyer and BA Euroflyer.

You’ll need to check your bags in for each separate flight. Make sure to leave enough time between each flight to do this and get to your departure gate for the next leg of your journey. Simply follow these steps:

• Check in your bags for your first flight.
• Collect your bags when you land - you may need to go through customs.
• Go to departures and check your bags in again for your next flight.
• Collect your bags at your final destination.

Please be aware that on journeys with separate tickets and different booking references, your bags will not be transferred on to your next flight as it is considered a separate journey.

In case of delay, cancellation or other disruption to your initial flight, when you hold a separate booking on a different reference for your next flight, airlines are limited in the assistance they can give you for your onward journey/subsequent flight, just as they have no obligation to automatically check your baggage through to your next flight as each booking is considered a separate contract.

British Airways, BA Cityflyer or BA Euroflyer infant baggage allowance for a baby under 24 months without a seat, regardless of cabin, includes a 23kg bag checked into the hold. No extra baggage allowance can be purchased on a ticket for an infant without a seat.

There is no checked baggage allowance for you or your infant if you are both travelling on a hand baggage only (Basic) fare, and any additional hold baggage allowance cannot be bought for your infant.

Children, and infants with a seat, have the same free baggage allowance as adults. Find out what other items you can check in for your family.

The above allowances apply to British Airways, BA Cityflyer or BA Euroflyer flights only.

You, as the Executive Club Member, must be travelling on the booking for those on your booking to get these benefits.

These allowances are not available on group bookings or to infants travelling without their own seat. Infants get one 23kg checked bag, no matter their cabin of travel.

Travel packages for students holding study visas, or similar official identification, may be available on some of our routes. You should search for student fares from the local ba.com website of the country where you will start your journey.

If no student travel offer is currently available for your journey, your ticket will still have our baggage allowance relevant to your route, so long as it is not an economy basic fare where there is no checked baggage allowance.

We don’t offer any extra free baggage allowance specifically for students on any other fares, but we do have discounted online rates for extra bags if you need to take more baggage on your flight: check our extra bag charge calculator.

If you are travelling on any specialist student fare, you must have your current official international student identification with you when you travel, or you could be refused carriage.

Duty-free purchases count towards your hand baggage allowance, so please store them inside your bag before boarding your flight. If your gifts or duty-free bags take you over the hand baggage allowance, your extra bags may be checked into the hold. If you’ve already used your free checked baggage allowance, you’ll have to pay for extra bags in the hold. If you pack wrapped gifts or presents in your bags, either those checked into the hold or in the cabin, they may need to be opened by airport security to check their contents.

All spare device batteries and power packs must be carried into the cabin in your hand baggage, as these are not permitted in the aircraft hold as checked baggage under any circumstances.

If you choose to put your laptop, tablet or similar electronic device into your checked baggage, they must be completely switched off (not in sleep or hibernation mode) and protected from unintentional activation and damage.

You should ensure that you have adequate baggage insurance to cover all eventualities as we would refuse any claim for damage, removal or loss of electrical devices from hold baggage.

At airport security, you may be asked to turn on any electronic devices you want to take into the cabin. Please ensure they are functioning and fully charged before you travel, or they may not be allowed on board.

You can also purchase Wi-Fi on board to stream your favourite TV shows or catch up on work while you travel.

Any small electric leisure vehicles, such as scooters,powered by lithium batteries are not allowed on our aircraft board, either as hand baggage or as checked baggage.

If you need to take regular medication, it’s important to pack enough essential medication for your personal use on board - and for the first few days of your journey - into your smaller under-seat item of hand baggage. This is in case your hold baggage is delayed for any reason.

Avoid packing medication in your larger cabin bag as you may be asked to put it into the hold on busy flights. Additional medication for personal use at your destination can also be packed in your checked baggage, so long as you are carrying enough for a few days in your hand baggage in case of any eventuality.

We recommend you carry a copy of the prescription for your medication to avoid delays at security or customs.

If you need to take essential medical supplies for your own use on your journey, like dialysis fluid, colostomy bags or liquid food, you can pack these into bags to be checked into the hold.

These items are in addition to your free baggage allowance, and you won’t be charged so long as:

• Any additional bag only contains your medical supplies, and
• You can show a letter from a medical professional confirming your need of these items

Please see our information on travelling with health conditions for the number of bags you can travel with and further advice.

There aren’t any limits to the weight or number of items of medical equipment you can carry with you for your journey, though they may need our permission to be brought on board. We recommend that you always carry a letter from a medical professional stating that you need the medical equipment on board or at your destination. This includes equipment like a CPAP machine, a nebuliser, an insulin pump or a portable oxygen concentrator (POC). We also recommend that these items are brought on board as hand baggage, rather than as checked baggage, should you need them for the first few days of your journey. 

If your journey includes a flight with another airline, their policies may be different. Please check before you fly. 

It’s free to take wheelchairs, mobility aids, assistive devices and related equipment if they’re for your personal use and within size limits. Find out more.