Hold luggage, the bags you check into the aircraft's hold, comes with weight limits and often fees that vary by airline and can add significantly to the cost of a flight. Understanding the rules helps you avoid excess charges and pack efficiently. This guide explains hold luggage weight limits, fees and packing tips. Always check your specific airline's current allowances and charges, as these differ and can change.
What hold luggage is
Hold luggage, or checked baggage, is the luggage you hand over at check-in to be carried in the aircraft's hold, rather than taking into the cabin. It is for larger and heavier items you do not need during the flight. Airlines set weight limits and, increasingly, charge separately for hold bags. Understanding that hold luggage is distinct from hand luggage, with its own rules and costs, is the basis for packing sensibly and avoiding the fees that catch out travellers who do not check the details.
Weight limits vary by airline
Hold luggage weight limits differ between airlines, typically allowing a set weight per bag, beyond which excess charges apply. The exact limit varies, so a weight that is fine on one airline may incur a fee on another. Some fares include a hold bag while others do not. Because the limits and inclusions vary, you cannot assume your bag will be within the allowance on every flight, which makes checking your airline's specific weight limit before packing important to avoid excess weight charges.
Check your allowance
Before flying, check exactly what hold luggage your airline and fare include, including the weight limit and whether a bag is included at all. Some fares come with a hold bag, while budget fares often do not, requiring you to add and pay for one. Our guide on hand luggage rules and allowances covers cabin bags. Confirming your hold baggage allowance for your specific booking ensures you know what you can bring and whether you need to pay for a checked bag.
Fees for hold bags
Many airlines, especially budget ones, charge for hold luggage as an optional extra, so a cheap fare can become more expensive once you add a checked bag. The fee varies by airline, route and how far in advance you add it. Our guide on how to find cheap flights covers comparing true costs. Factoring in hold baggage fees when comparing flights ensures you judge the real price, as a fare without a bag is not directly comparable to one that includes checked luggage.
Excess weight charges
If your hold bag exceeds the weight limit, airlines charge excess baggage fees, which can be expensive, often charged per kilogram over the limit at the airport. These charges add up quickly and are best avoided. Weighing your bag before you travel lets you adjust if it is over. Being aware that going over the weight limit triggers costly excess charges, and checking your bag's weight at home, helps you avoid an unwelcome and avoidable expense when you check in for your flight.
Add bags in advance
Adding hold luggage in advance, when booking or before you travel, is almost always cheaper than adding it at the airport, where charges are highest. If you know you need a checked bag, sort it ahead of time rather than at check-in or the gate. Planning your baggage needs in advance and paying for them early avoids the premium charged at the airport. This simple step can save a significant amount, as last-minute baggage charges are among the most expensive extras.
Packing tips to stay under the limit
To stay within the weight limit, pack efficiently: take only what you need, choose lighter clothing and items, and avoid overpacking. Wearing your heaviest items, such as boots or a coat, rather than packing them, can help. Using a lightweight suitcase leaves more of the allowance for your belongings. Packing thoughtfully, with the weight limit in mind, helps you avoid excess charges and the hassle of repacking at the airport, while ensuring you still bring everything you genuinely need for the trip.
Distributing weight across bags
If you are travelling with others or have more than one bag, distributing weight evenly can help everyone stay within their limits, as long as each bag is within the per-bag allowance. Some airlines allow pooling of baggage allowances, but check, as this is not universal. Spreading weight sensibly across the bags you are checking in, within the rules, can help avoid one bag being over while another is under, making the most of your combined allowance without incurring excess charges. Just remember that each individual bag must still meet its own per-bag weight limit, however you spread the contents, and that not every airline allows allowances to be pooled, so check before relying on it to balance your bags.
Prohibited items in the hold
Certain items are restricted or prohibited in hold luggage for safety reasons, such as some batteries and other dangerous goods, while valuables and essential medication are better kept in your hand luggage. Knowing what should not go in the hold avoids problems at check-in and protects important items. Our guide on what you can take in hand luggage covers what to keep with you. Checking the rules on prohibited items before packing your hold bag ensures a smooth check-in.
Hold bag or hand luggage only?
Before paying for a hold bag, consider whether you could travel with hand luggage only, which is cheaper and faster, especially for short trips. For longer holidays or family travel, a checked bag is usually necessary, but for a short break you may manage without. Our guide on hand luggage rules and allowances covers cabin baggage. Weighing whether you genuinely need a hold bag, rather than automatically adding one, can save money and time, while for longer trips the convenience of checked luggage is well worth the fee.
Label and protect your bag
To look after your hold luggage, label it clearly with your contact details, inside and out, so it can be reunited with you if it goes astray, and consider a distinctive tag or marking to spot it easily on the carousel. A sturdy, lockable case protects your belongings. Keeping valuables and essentials in your hand luggage rather than the hold guards against loss or delay. Taking a few simple steps to label and protect your checked bag reduces the chance and impact of it being lost or damaged in transit.
In short
Hold luggage weight limits and fees vary by airline, so always check what your airline and fare include and the weight limit. Many budget fares exclude a checked bag, and excess weight charges are costly, so add bags in advance, which is cheaper than at the airport, and weigh your bag at home. Pack efficiently to stay under the limit, keep valuables and medication in your hand luggage, check the rules on prohibited items, and label and protect your bag. For short trips, consider whether you could travel hand luggage only and skip the checked-bag fee altogether, while for longer holidays the convenience of a checked bag is usually well worth the cost.
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