Legal

Passenger notices

The following information is important and applies to all passengers on British Airways flights.

Dangerous articles in baggage

Passenger baggage must not contain any articles or substances that may present a danger during transport, including those listed above and below. Some exceptions apply.

  • Compressed gases (deeply refrigerated, flammable, non-flammable and poisonous) such as butane, oxygen, liquid nitrogen, aqualung cylinders and compressed gas cylinders.
  • Disabling devices or substances such as mace, pepper spray and Tasers.
  • Corrosives, such as acids, alkalis, wet cell batteries, and items containing mercury.
  • Explosives, munitions, ammunition including blank cartridges, hand guns, fireworks, flares and pistol caps.
  • Flammable liquids and solids, such as lighters that need inverting before ignition, lighter fuel, fire lighters, paints and thinners.
  • Matches (one box of safety matches may be carried on the person).
  • Radioactive materials.
  • Brief cases and attache cases with installed alarm devices.
  • Oxidising materials such as bleaching powder and peroxides.
  • Poisons and infectious substances, such as insecticides, weed killers and live virus materials.
  • Other dangerous articles, such as magnetised material, cooking oils, dry-ice, offensive or irritating materials.
  • Medicines and toiletries in limited quantities required by passengers during the journey, such as hairsprays, perfumes and medicines may be carried.
  • Many of these listed articles can be carried as air cargo provided they are packed in accordance with cargo regulations.

If you are in any doubt please contact us before booking.

Read our full liquids, banned and restricted items guidelines to help you decide what to take and what to leave at home

More information

As used in this contract "ticket" means this passenger ticket and baggage check, or this itinerary/receipt if applicable, in the case of an electronic ticket, of which these conditions and notices form part, "carriage" is equivalent to "transportation", "carrier" means all air carriers that carry or undertake to carry the passenger or his baggage hereunder or perform any other service incidental to such air carriage, "electronic ticket" means the Itinerary / Receipt issued by or on behalf of Carrier, the Electronic Coupons and, if applicable, a boarding document; "Warsaw Convention" means the convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air signed at Warsaw, 12th October 1929, or that Convention as amended at The Hague, 28th September 1955, whichever may be applicable, Montreal Convention means the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air signed at Montreal, 28 May 1999.

Carriage hereunder is subject to the rules and limitations relating to liability established by either the Warsaw Convention or the Montreal Convention unless such carriage is not "International carriage" as defined by that Convention.

To the extent not in conflict with the foregoing carriage and  other services performed by each carrier are subject to:

               (i) provisions contained in this ticket

               (ii) applicable tariffs:

               (iii) carriers conditions of carriage and related regulations which are made part hereof (and are available on application at the offices of carrier), except in transportation between a place in the United States or Canada and any place outside thereof to which tariffs in force in those countries apply.

Carrier's name may be abbreviated in the ticket, the full name and its abbreviation being set forth in carriers tariffs,  conditions of carriage, regulations or timetables: carriers  address shall be the airport of departure shown opposite the  first abbreviation of carriers name in the ticket: the agreed  stopping places are those places set forth in this ticket or as shown in the carriers timetables as scheduled stopping places on  the passenger's route: carriage to be performed hereunder by  several successive carriers is regarded as a single operation.

An air carrier issuing a ticket for carriage over the lines of another air carrier does so only as its agent.

Any exclusion or limitation of liability of carrier shall apply to and be to the benefit of agents, servants and representatives of carrier and any person whose aircraft is used by carrier for carriage and its agents, servants and representatives.

Checked Baggage will be delivered to bearer of the baggage check. In case of damage to baggage moving in international  transportation, complaint must be made in writing to carrier forthwith after discovery of damage and, at the latest, within seven days from receipt in case of delay, complaint must be made within 21 days from date the baggage was delivered. See tariffs or conditions of carriage regarding non-international transportation.

This ticket is good for carriage for one year from date of issue, except as otherwise provided in this ticket, in carriers tariffs, conditions of carriage, or related regulations. The fare for carriage hereunder is subject to change prior to commencement of carriage. Carrier may refuse transportation if the applicable fare has not been paid.

Carrier undertakes to use its best efforts to carry the passenger and baggage with reasonable dispatch. Times shown in timetables or elsewhere are not guaranteed and form no part of this contract. Carrier may without notice substitute alternate carriers or aircraft, and may alter or omit stopping places shown on the ticket in case of necessity. Schedules are subject to change without notice. Carrier assumes no responsibility for making connections.

Passengers shall comply with Government travel requirements, present exit, entry and other required documents and arrive at airport by time fixed by carrier or, if no time is fixed, early enough to complete departure procedures.

No agent, servant or representative of carrier has authority to alter, modify or waive any provision of this contract.

Carriage is subject to the above Conditions of Contract and to British Airways General Conditions of Carriage. If your flight is operated by a carrier other than British Airways their General Conditions of Carriage will also apply. Copies of the British Airways General Conditions of Carriage are available on request or can be obtained at the airport or using the link below.

Read our General Conditions of Carriage

The Montreal Convention or the Warsaw Convention system may be applicable to your journey and these Conventions govern and may limit the liability of air carriers for death or bodily injury, for loss of or damage to baggage, and for delay.

Where the Montreal Convention applies, the limits of liability are as follows:

There are no financial limits in respect of death or bodily injury.

In respect of destruction, loss of, or damage or delay to baggage, 1,288 Special Drawing Rights [approximately GB £1,365; Euro 1,600; US $1,774] per passenger in most cases.

For damage occasioned by delay to your journey, 4,694 Special Drawing Rights (approximately GB £4,500; Euro 5,100; US $5,800) per passenger in most cases.

EC Regulation No. 889/2002 requires European Community carriers to apply the provisions of the Montreal Convention limits to all carriage by them of passengers and their baggage by air. Many non-European Community carriers have elected to do so in respect of the carriage of passengers and their baggage.

Where the Warsaw Convention system applies, the following limits of liability may apply:

16,600 Special Drawing Rights (approximately Euro 20,000; US $20,000) in respect of death or bodily injury if the Hague Protocol to the Convention applies, or 8,300 Special Drawing Rights (approximately Euro 10,000; US $10,000) if only the Warsaw Convention applies. Many carriers have voluntarily waived these limits in their entirety, and US regulations require that, for journeys to, from or with an agreed stopping place in the US, the limit may not be less than US $75,000.

17 Special Drawing Rights (approximately Euro 20; US $20) per kg for loss of or damage or delay to checked baggage, and 332 Special Drawing Rights (approximately Euro 400; US $400.) for unchecked baggage.

The carrier may also be liable for damage occasioned by delay.

Further information may be obtained from the carrier as to the limits applicable to your journey. If your journey involves carriage by different carriers, you should contact each carrier for information on the applicable limits of liability.

Regardless of which Convention applies to your journey, you may benefit from a higher limit of liability for loss of, damage or delay to baggage by making at check-in a special declaration of the value of your baggage and paying any supplementary fee that may apply. Alternatively, if the value of your baggage exceeds the applicable limit of liability, you should fully insure it before you travel.

For travel wholly between U.S. points, Federal rules require any limit on an airlines baggage liability for loss, delay or damage, to be at least US $3,300 per passenger. Excess valuation may be declared on certain types of articles. Some carriers assume no liability for fragile, valuable or perishable articles. Further information may be obtained from the carrier.

Time limit for action: Any action in court to claim damages must be brought within two years from the date of arrival of the aircraft, or from the date on which the aircraft ought to have arrived. Baggage claims: Written notice to the carrier must be made within 7 days of the receipt of checked baggage in the case of damage, and, in the case of delay, within 21 days from the date on which it was placed at the disposal of the passenger.

Read our full Notice of Liability

The price of your ticket may include a carrier imposed charge, fuel surcharge or other charges, where applicable. They are shown in the "TAX/FEE/CHARGE" area of your ticket. These sums are levied by British Airways and are not a tax, fee or charge imposed by a Government Authority or by a third party. UB is the Passenger Service Charge, which carriers pay to UK airport operators for each passengers use of airport facilities.

The price of this ticket may include taxes, fees and charges which are imposed on air transportation by Government Authorities and Airports. They may represent a significant portion of the cost of air travel and are either included in the fare or shown separately in the "TAX/FEE/CHARGE" box(es) of this ticket. You may also be required to pay taxes, fees and charges not already collected.

In order to minimise the effect of "no-shows" (passengers who are booked on a flight but do not present themselves for travel), and to allow as many passengers as possible to travel on the flight of their choice, British Airways and most major airlines may overbook services. Whilst we make every effort to provide seats for which confirmed reservations have been made, there is a slight chance that a seat will not be available on a flight for which a person has a confirmed reservation, and no absolute guarantee of seat availability is denoted by the expressions reservations, bookings, status OK and the timings attached to them. British Airways operates compensation schemes for passengers with confirmed reservations who are denied carriage without reasonable grounds. Details of these schemes are available at check-in. Please direct any questions about our overbooking or denied boarding compensation policy to our Customer Relations Manager

British Airways Customer Relations,
PO Box 1126
Uxbridge
UB8 9XS
Telephone:  +44 (0) 191 490 7901
or contact us