Your checked baggage allowance is the total number of bags, their size and weight that go into the aircraft hold. This varies depending on the cabin you’re travelling in, your frequent flyer member status and other factors.
British Airways, OpenSkies and BA CityFlyer flights
A checked bag can be up to 90 x 75 x 43cm (35.5 x 29.5 x 16in), including any bits that stick out, like the handle, pockets and wheels.
The weight limit applies to each bag. It’s not possible to split the total weight across multiple bags.
Hand baggage only (Basic) tickets
If you are travelling on a hand baggage only (Basic) fare, checking in baggage costs extra. However, if you’re travelling with children up to 11 years you can check in one fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and one car seat for free.
You can pay and check in bags at any time before you fly, but you’ll get the best rate if you pay online in advance.
Checked baggage in economy (Euro Traveller, World Traveller, Eco)
| Flights to/from Brazil | |
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 2 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag) |
| Children (2-11) | 2 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Infants (under 2) | 1 bag (max. 32kg / 70lb)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Flights between London and Doha | |
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 1 bag (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag) |
| Children (2-11) | 1 bag (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Infants (under 2) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Flights to/from Ghana, Kenya, Japan (booked from 1 July 2016), Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone
Connecting between India and USA/Bermuda/Canada, or connecting from Saudi Arabia to USA/Bermuda/Canada |
|
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 2 bags (max. 23kg / 51lb per bag) |
| Children (2-11) | 2 bags (max. 23kg / 51lb per bag)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Infants (under 2) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| All other flights | |
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb) |
| Children and infants (up to 11) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Extra allowances for some Executive Club/oneworld members | |
Checked baggage in premium economy (World Traveller Plus, Prem Plus)
| Flights to/from Brazil | |
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 2 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag) |
| Children (2-11) | 2 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Infants (under 2) | 1 bag (max. 32kg / 70lb)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| All other flights | |
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 2 bags (max. 23kg / 51lb per bag) |
| Children (2-11) | 2 bags (max. 23kg / 51lb per bag)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Infants (under 2) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Extra allowances for some Executive Club/oneworld members | |
Checked baggage in business and First class
| Club Europe, Club World, Club World London City and Biz Bed | |
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 2 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag) |
| Children (2-11) | 2 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Infants (under 2) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| First | |
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 3 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag) |
| Children (2-11) | 3 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Infants (under 2) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Extra allowances for some Executive Club/oneworld members | |
Extra allowances for Executive Club and oneworld Members
The extra allowances apply:
- in any travel class for everyone on your booking as long as you as the qualifying frequent flyer are travelling on the booking
- only on British Airways flights, except for hand baggage only (Basic) fares and group rate bookings
| Tier | Extra allowance |
| Executive Club Gold/oneworld Emerald | One additional free checked bag
A weight allowance of 32kg (70lb) per checked bag |
| Executive Club Silver/oneworld Sapphire | One additional free checked bag but max. two bags per person (excl. hand baggage only (Basic) fares)
A weight allowance of 32kg (70lb) per checked bag |
Allowances on mixed cabin journeys
If your journey includes flights in more than one travel class, the more generous allowance will apply to your whole journey (unless the flights are on separate bookings – then each travel class’s allowance will apply to the individual flight). For example:
- You fly from Manchester to London in UK Domestic and connect from London to Rome in Club Europe. The Club Europe allowance applies to your entire journey.
- You fly from London to Dubai in World Traveller and return in World Traveller Plus. The World Traveller Plus allowance applies to your entire journey.
Checking in baggage for connecting flights
If you’re connecting at an airport that requires you to clear your baggage at the first point of entry and you are connecting to a domestic flight in that country, please follow the signs for ‘Arrivals/Baggage reclaim’ to collect your bags and check it in again as normal for your connecting flight.
If you have booked all your flights under one booking with the same ticket number, you only need to check in your bags once when you start your journey then collect them at your final destination.
If you have booked two separate flights to reach your final destination, for example Edinburgh to London followed by London to New York, you will need to:
- Check in your bags for your first flight e.g. Edinburgh to London.
- Follow the signs for ‘Arrivals/Baggage reclaim’ in London to collect your bags.
- Check them in again for your second flight e.g. London to New York.
- Allow sufficient time to connect to your next flight
If you’re not sure, please ask a member of staff when you check in your bags in at the start of your journey.
Find out more about flight connections
Pushchairs (strollers)
If you have a small, fully collapsible and lightweight pushchair/stroller (with maximum dimensions of 117cm x 38cm x 38cm/46in x 15in x 15in when the pushchair is collapsed), you will qualify to take this right to the aircraft door and collect at the aircraft door at most airports.
Please arrive at your departure gate no later than 40 minutes before departure time, and prepare to pre-board the aircraft.
The staff will put your pushchair into the hold and will do all possible to return it to you at the aircraft door.
All other, larger pushchairs, including double and multi-piece pushchairs can be taken to the departure gate, however, on arrival you must pick up these larger pushchairs at the baggage carousel in the baggage hall.
More about family baggage
Wheelchairs and mobility aids
| Number of wheelchairs/mobility aids | |
| To/from USA | You can take an unlimited number of wheelchairs/mobility aids in addition to your free baggage allowance, as long as it’s for your personal use. |
| All other countries | You can take up to two wheelchairs/mobility aids in addition to your free baggage allowance. |
| Wheelchair/mobility aid dimensions (length x width x height) | |
| British Airways long haul aircraft | max. 140 x 85 x 152cm (55.1 x 33.5 x 59.8in) |
| British Airways short haul aircraft | max. 140 x 85 x 106cm (55.1 x 33.5 x 41.7in) |
| BA CityFlyer | max. 74 x 94 x 73cm (29.6 x 37.6 x 29.2in) |
If your wheelchair or mobility aid weighs over 250kg (551lb), please contact us so we can establish if we’re able to carry it. There are no overweight charges for personal wheelchairs or mobility aids.
We can accommodate most types of battery-powered wheelchairs. To help us prepare, please provide us with advance notification and follow some safety guidance before you travel.
Medical equipment
There are no weight limits or overweight charges for travelling with medical equipment but please check our medical information for specific advice.
Increasing your checked baggage allowance
- You can take more bags than your free checked baggage allowance for an additional fee. You’ll get the best rate if you pay online in advance.
- You can take overweight bags for an extra charge.
- You can take larger items of up to 190 x 75 x 65cm (75 x 29.5 x 25.5in) for an additional charge. (Currently, we waive this charge so you do not pay it.) Any items larger than this require shipping as cargo.
- Find out more about taking sporting equipment and musical instruments.
- If you are checking in a large piece of baggage, please allow an additional 15 minutes so that the item can be safely and securely handed over to the Baggage staff.
Items you cannot take with you
Travelling on other airlines
If your journey includes a flight with an airline other than British Airways, your checked baggage allowance may be different:
- If every flight in your journey has a BA code (e.g. BA1234) you will get British Airways’ checked baggage allowance, even if some or all of the flights are operated by other airlines (so-called ‘codeshare’ flights).
- If every flight in your journey has another airline’s code, you will get that airline’s baggage allowance.
- If your journey includes a mix of BA and other airline codes (e.g. AA1122 or IB3210) you will get the allowance of the most significant carrier – usually the airline operating the longest part of the journey.
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Comair
Our franchise partner Comair is an independent airline that uses British Airways branding and flight codes across its network. It operates across southern Africa (flight numbers BA6200-6449).
The weight limit applies to each bag. It’s not possible to split the total weight across multiple bags.
Flights within South Africa
| Economy flights | |
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb per bag) |
| Children and infants (up to 11) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb per bag)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Business flights | |
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 2 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag) |
| Children (2-11) | 2 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Infants (under 2) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
Flights from South Africa to and from Victoria Falls, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Windhoek and Mauritius
| Economy flights | |
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 2 bags (max. 23kg / 51lb per bag) |
| Children (2-11) | 2 bags (max. 23kg / 51lb per bag)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Infants (under 2) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Business flights | |
| Adults and young adults (from 12 years) | 2 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag) |
| Children (2-11) | 2 bags (max. 32kg / 70lb per bag)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
| Infants (under 2) | 1 bag (max. 23kg / 51lb)
plus 1 fully collapsible pushchair (stroller) and 1 car seat |
SUN-AIR
Our franchise partner SUN-AIR of Scandinavia is an independent airline that uses British Airways branding and flight codes across its network. It operates flights across northern Europe (flight numbers BA8200-8299).
You can take one checked bag up to 90 x 75 x 43cm (35.5 x 29.5 x 16in) and weighing max. 23kg.
Flybe
If you’re an Executive Club Member you can have one 20kg bag included in your reward flight costs when you’re travelling with our partner Flybe.
Unfortunately, due to different systems being used we’re currently not able to display your baggage allowance when you make or view your booking on ba.com or via our contact centres.
Other airlines
Check your hand baggage allowance on American Airlines, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways.
For other airlines, please refer to their websites or contact them directly.