While every airline follows similar weight restrictions, some airlines offer cheaper and more convenient options like bag pooling between families.
For the most part, all airlines share a standard weight limit of 23kg, with 32kg being the maximum weight for any one checked bag or item after heavyweight fees.
Despite these overarching standards, some airlines like easyJet standout by offering conveniences like lightweight (15kg) checked bags at a lower price or the option to pool total bag weight between families. Meanwhile, airlines like BA enforce strict rules about how many checked bags each passenger is permitted, depending on their fare class. To make the differing restrictions crystal clear, we’ve broken down the checked bag weight limits for economy passengers of the most popular UK airlines.
British Airways
For British Airways passengers, the standard checked baggage allowance is 23kg per bag. The number of checked bags you are allowed is dependent on your booking, cabin class and Executive Club Tier status.
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Economy: Allowed 1 checked bag, up to 23kg (51lbs)
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Premium Economy: Allowed 2 checked bags, up to 23kg (51lbs) each
You cannot pool, share or combine your checked baggage allowance with another traveller, even someone in your travel party.
If your checked baggage weighs more than your allowance, you may have to pay a heavy bag charge of £65 per overweight bag and one-way journey.
Be aware: Economy Basic passengers are only allotted cabin and hand baggage, and will be charged extra for any bags that need to be placed in the hold.
easyJet
Each easyJet passenger, including children and infants, can buy up to three checked bags. Checked bags are not included in the price of fares and need to be purchased separately.
When it comes to most discount airlines, it’s cheaper to purchase a checked bag online than at the bag drop desk. Checked bag fees will vary depending on your route, flight and time of booking; ranging anywhere from £10 to £40 for a 23kg-max bag.
easyJet allows passengers to buy a standard checked bag with a weight limit of 23kg. Passengers can subsequently buy extra weight in 3kg units up to a maximum weight of 32kg per bag. Or, opt for the 15kg-max hold bag at a lower cost.
Unlike BA, easyJet allows you to pool your total weight allowance between family and friends travelling on the same flight and booking. This means the total weight allowance can be split amongst the total number of booked bags, so long as no single checked bag or item exceeds 32kg.
If your checked baggage weighs more than your allowance, you may have to pay an excess weight fee of £12 per kilo, per item, per flight.
Emirates
Emirates prides itself on having “one of the most generous baggage allowances in the world” as described on their website. The airline determines passengers’ baggage allowance based on either the total weight of all baggage.
Economy Class passengers must abide by the following weight limits to avoid overweight fees:
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Economy Special: up to 20kg per bag
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Economy Saver: up to 25kg per bag
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Economy Flex: up to 30kg per bag
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Economy Flex Plus: up to 35kg per bag
You can check in as many bags as you like up to the weight allowance for your Economy travel class. However no individual bag can weigh more than 32kg, even with heavyweight fees.
Be aware: there are different weight restrictions when you travel to and from the Americas and Africa.
Ryanair
Any Ryanair passenger wishing to bring a checked bag must pay additional fees, though it is cheaper to purchase a checked bag during the time of booking. There are two checked bag options available to passengers:
10kg Checked Bag
20kg Checked Bag
Any baggage exceeding these allowances will be charged £12 per additional kilo. Be aware: Fees are subject to VAT on Italian, Bulgarian, French, German, Greek, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and Swedish domestic routes at applicable government rates.
TUI Airways
TUI checked baggage allowances depend on whether you have a flight-only booking or a package holiday booking. Flyers with flight-only bookings must pay for checked baggage, and the maximum weight depends on the exact booking.
Standard flight-only bookings:
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Allow purchase of one 15kg, 20kg or 25kg checked bag, with prices starting from £40 per journey
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Excess weight fees: £55 per 15kg bag and £14 per excess kilo
Long-haul flights with the Premium upgrade:
Alternatively, when you fly both ways with TUI Airways as part of a package holiday, it will include at least 20kg of checked-in luggage per person and 10kg for Under 2s.
TUI Airways allows passengers to pool their checked baggage. This means that if you’ve purchased one 25kg bag, you can split this between multiple passengers so long as the total weight of all bags is under 25kg.
