British Airways baggage allowance

Cabin baggage: what every British Airways passenger gets

Cabin baggage is the one part of the British Airways allowance that does not change by fare or cabin. Every passenger, from a Basic hand-baggage-only ticket through to First, is entitled to the same two pieces: one larger bag for the overhead locker and one smaller personal item that goes under the seat in front.

The larger bag has a maximum size of 56 x 45 x 25cm including handles and wheels. The smaller item is capped at 40 x 30 x 15cm and is meant for a handbag, laptop bag or similar. British Airways does not publish a separate weight limit for the personal item, but it does publish one for the main cabin bag, and it is more generous than most competitors allow.

Where people go wrong is treating "hand luggage only" fares as free of any allowance at all. They are not — Basic economy still includes both cabin pieces. What it excludes is anything that goes in the hold. If you are travelling on a Basic fare and need a checked bag, you are buying it as an add-on, and the earlier you add it online the cheaper it tends to be compared with paying at the airport.

Checked baggage by fare and cabin

This is the table worth bookmarking, because it is the single figure most people search for and the one most likely to be quoted wrong when lifted from a generic "airline baggage" list rather than checked against British Airways' current fare structure.

The dimension limit for every checked bag, regardless of cabin, is 90 x 75 x 43cm including wheels and handles. A bag over that size is treated as oversized rather than simply heavy, and oversized items are handled and charged differently from an overweight bag within the size limit.

Two things worth remembering: the 23kg figure applies per bag, not as a shared pool across a party, and a couple travelling together on the same booking cannot combine allowances into one 46kg case. Each bag is weighed and judged on its own.

Extra and overweight bags

Anyone needing more than the included allowance is buying either an extra piece or extra weight on an existing piece, and British Airways treats those as different charges.

Overweight and extra-bag charges scale with route length and are cheaper on European sectors than on long-haul ones, and cheaper again if paid through Manage My Booking before you travel rather than settled at the check-in desk. Because British Airways adjusts these charges by route rather than publishing one flat global price, get the number for your specific flight before assuming a figure quoted for a different route applies to yours.

Infants, children and family baggage

Infants under two travelling on an adult's lap get their own baggage entitlement even though they do not occupy a seat, which surprises a lot of first-time parents booking a British Airways long-haul flight.

An infant ticket typically includes one checked bag with a lower weight limit than an adult's, plus allowance for a collapsible pushchair or car seat carried to the aircraft door free of charge and returned to you on arrival. Children over two travelling on a full child fare receive the same baggage allowance as an adult on the same cabin and fare type — there is no reduced children's allowance once a seat is purchased.

Pushchairs, car seats and travel cots for infants and young children are generally carried free in addition to the standard allowance rather than counted against it, checked at the gate rather than at the main bag drop. Confirm this at check-in, because gate staff need to tag it separately from your hold luggage, and arriving without having flagged it in advance can slow down boarding.

Sports equipment and musical instruments

Sports equipment such as golf clubs, skis or a bike is generally accepted as part of your checked allowance if it fits within the standard weight and size limits, or as a paid special item if it is oversized or overweight for its category.

Because pricing and acceptance for sports and musical equipment is reported with less consistency across sources than the standard bag tables above, treat any figure you see quoted for these items as indicative rather than fixed, and confirm directly against your booking before you travel with anything unusual.

Restricted and prohibited items

Certain items cannot travel in checked baggage at all and must go in the cabin, and others are restricted in both. Lithium batteries above a certain capacity, spare batteries and power banks must travel in cabin baggage only, never checked, under standard international air safety rules that British Airways applies alongside every other carrier. Liquids in cabin baggage remain subject to the standard container-size and clear-bag rules at UK and most international airports.

Sharp objects, flammable items and most sporting items with a blade or point need to travel checked rather than in the cabin. If you are unsure whether an item is permitted at all, checking before you pack avoids a confiscation at security that a repacked hold bag would have avoided entirely.

How to check your own allowance before you fly

The allowance shown at the point of booking on britishairways.com or in the app reflects your specific fare, route and any status you hold, and it is the only figure that should be treated as final for your trip. A generic table, including the ones on this page, describes the shape of the policy rather than a guarantee for your exact itinerary.

Manage My Booking shows your included allowance and lets you pre-purchase extra or overweight bags in advance of travel, generally at a lower price than paying at the airport. If your ticket was issued by Airlaza, our desk can confirm the exact baggage entitlement attached to your fare before you travel, since Basic and standard Economy fares that look similar in price can carry very different baggage terms.

Executive Club status and baggage

Holding status in The British Airways Club adds baggage benefits on top of your fare's standard allowance, layered by tier rather than replacing the fare-based table above.

Because the exact extra kilos or bags per tier are published by British Airways as fare-conditions detail rather than a single simple number, a status holder should check their own Executive Club benefits page rather than assume a flat uplift, since the benefit can vary between short-haul and long-haul itineraries.

Frequently asked questions

What is the British Airways checked baggage allowance?

It depends on fare and cabin. Basic fares include no checked bag; standard Economy, Economy Flex and Premium Economy include one bag up to 23kg; Club World includes two bags up to 32kg each; First includes three bags up to 32kg each. All checked bags share the same maximum size of 90 x 75 x 43cm.

Does British Airways Basic fare include a checked bag?

No. Basic economy on British Airways is hand-baggage only — you still get the standard cabin bag and personal item, but any bag placed in the hold is an extra purchase. Adding a bag online in advance through Manage My Booking is generally cheaper than paying for one at the airport check-in desk.

What is the British Airways hand luggage size limit?

One cabin bag up to 56 x 45 x 25cm including wheels and handles, plus one smaller personal item up to 40 x 30 x 15cm such as a handbag or laptop bag. This allowance is the same across every fare and cabin, including Basic economy, and does not vary by route.

How much does an extra bag cost with British Airways?

There is no single figure, because extra and overweight bag charges are generated by route length and cabin, and pricing paid online in advance through Manage My Booking is generally cheaper than paying at the airport. Confirm the exact charge for your specific flight before travelling with an extra piece.

Can I combine baggage allowance with another passenger on British Airways?

No. Each checked bag on a British Airways booking is weighed and assessed individually against the limit for that passenger's fare, even when travelling as a couple or family on one reservation. You cannot pool two 23kg allowances into a single 46kg case, and an overweight bag is charged on its own.

What is the baggage allowance for an infant on British Airways?

Infants under two travelling on an adult's lap generally receive their own checked bag allowance at a reduced weight compared with an adult, plus free carriage of a collapsible pushchair, car seat or travel cot to the aircraft door. Confirm the exact infant allowance for your fare when booking, since it differs from a child's full-seat allowance.

Does British Airways charge for sports equipment?

Standard-sized sports items such as golf clubs or skis are often accepted within your normal checked allowance if size and weight permit. Larger items such as bikes are typically treated as special or oversized baggage with separate pricing. Confirm acceptance and any charge for unusual equipment directly with British Airways before travelling.

What happens if my bag is over the weight limit?

A bag between your fare's included weight and 32kg is generally accepted but charged as overweight rather than refused. A bag over 32kg is not accepted in any cabin and must be repacked or split into two bags. Oversized bags, over 90 x 75 x 43cm, are handled and priced separately from an overweight bag.

Does Executive Club status increase my baggage allowance?

Yes. Bronze, Silver and Gold members of The British Airways Club generally receive additional baggage benefits above their fare's standard allowance, increasing by tier, with Gold receiving the largest uplift plus priority handling. The exact extra bags or weight vary by tier and route, so check your own membership benefits page for the current figure.

Can lithium batteries go in checked baggage on British Airways?

No. Lithium batteries above a certain capacity, spare batteries and power banks must travel in cabin baggage only, never in the hold, under standard international air safety rules applied across the industry. Check any electronic item with a removable or built-in lithium battery before assuming it can go in your checked bag.