Checked baggage allowances

If you are travelling on a hand baggage only (Basic) fare, checking in baggage costs extra. However, if you’re travelling with an infant or a child up to 11 years old, you can check two items, such as a fully collapsible pushchair (stroller), a car seat or a travel cot for free for each infant or child.

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.

More about paying to take checked bags

Silver and Gold Executive Club Members and equivalent members in other oneworld frequent flyer programmes get additional baggage allowances. 

*You must be travelling on the booking for these benefits to apply. They apply to British Airways flights only and are not available to infant Members who are travelling without their own seat. Not available on group rate bookings.

Direct flights

If your return journey includes flights in more than one cabin, the baggage allowance for each flight will apply.

Example

• If you fly from London to Cape Town in Club World, the allowance for that cabin will apply for that flight: 2 bags up to 32kg each.
• If you return from Cape Town to London in World Traveller, the allowance for that cabin will apply for that flight: 1 bag up to 23kg.

You can take more bags than your allowance, which are charged per bag up to a total of 10 per person, including your allowance.

Stopovers and connecting journeys

If you include a stopover, for example you fly from London to Singapore in Club World and then continue at a later date from Singapore to Sydney in World Traveller, the separate baggage allowances for each cabin will apply.

When you fly in more than one cabin on a connecting journey, the baggage allowance for the most significant sector will apply to the whole journey, which is usually the longest flight.

Example

If you fly from Dubai to London in Club World and then connect from London to Rome in Euro Traveller, each flight will have a different baggage allowance. You will be given the baggage allowance for the longest flight which is the Dubai, Club World sector for the whole of your connecting journey.

Log in to Manage My Booking to check your allowance and save money when you pay for extra bags online before you check in.

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 are connecting onto another flight, you can check your bags through to your final destination, providing:

• All your flights are on one booking reference with the same ticket number, or
• All your flights are with oneworld airlines booked under the same booking reference, even though you may hold separate ticket numbers.

If you have booked separate flights with different booking references to reach your final destination, for example Edinburgh to London in one booking followed by London to New York in another booking, 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 – see recommended check in times.

If you're not sure, please ask a member of staff when you check in your bags in at the start of your journey.

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 may be able to 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, where possible.

Pushchairs that fold down into a carry bag, such as the Yo-Yo Zen, and are within the maximum hand baggage dimensions, can be taken on board in place of, but not in addition to, your larger cabin bag. As with all larger cabin bags, this is not guaranteed to travel in the cabin, but our staff will make every effort to accommodate it so long as space is available.

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.

Please be aware that walking distances at airports can be long, and if you bring a larger pushchair you should be prepared to transport your child to the baggage carousel by another method.

More about family baggage

You can take an unlimited number of wheelchairs, mobility aids and associated equipment in addition to your free baggage allowance, as long as they are for your personal use and each piece is within the dimensions stated in the table below.

In addition to wheelchairs, mobility aids and associated equipment includes items such as walking frames, ramps, shower seats, bed supports, hoists and spare wheelchair wheels. There are no overweight charges for personal wheelchairs or mobility aids/equipment.

However, if your wheelchair or mobility aid weighs over 250kg (551lb), please contact us so we can make sure we're able to carry it.

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.

More about disability and mobility assistance

There are no weight limits or overweight charges for travelling with medical equipment, such as CPAP or portable dialysis machines.

There are, however, limits to the number of excess bags of medication or medical supplies, such as dialysis fluid or colostomy packs, that each customer can check into the hold without charge and these need to be accompanied by an official medical letter and authorised when you check your bags in at the airport. Please see our medical information for specific advice.

• 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) as long as they weigh no more than your permitted baggage weight allowance. If the bag weighs more than your allowance, you will be charged extra at the airport. No bag can weigh more than 32kg. Any items larger than the above dimensions will 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.

There are a number of rules and restrictions about what you can and cannot carry in your baggage.

Safety regulations for baggage

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.

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.

If you're an Executive Club Member you can have one 23kg bag included in your reward flight costs when you're travelling with our partner Flybe*.

*Note 20kg if booked prior to 12 May 2017.

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.

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.

Find out which airline you are flying with in Manage My Booking