About Luggage

The price of an airline ticket includes not only transportation for the passenger, but for personal baggage as well. The fare paid dictates not only the kind of seat and service but also the baggage allowance. And while actually paid for as part of the ticket, it is called the “Free Baggage Allowance” determined by each individual airline. It includes “Checked” baggage, carried in the aircraft hold, and cabin baggage, brought along in the aircraft cabin.

Checked Baggage

In general, checked baggage is expressed as either a weight, size and/or quantity allowance, where different airlines will stipulate their particular specification. Recently most major airlines have reduced their “allowances. An Economy Class passenger travelling from England should now be careful not to exceed 25 kgs in weight and/or 158cm/62 linear inches (added height/width/and depth). Trolley Cases below 76cm/30” will be allowed to be checked in on most scheduled long-haul flights. For example either a 28” Aerolite or Moonlight Trolley Case (SL2001) will weigh approximately 19kg plus when packed and would therefore, meet most of this type of Airline Allowance. Easy Jet and RyanAir as Budget Carriers have allowances of between 15 and 20kg where passengers would be better advised to pack 61cm/24” trolley cases (SL2002). In order to avoid such difficulties many passengers are now avoiding traditional hard and soft-sided cases and utilising wheeling holdalls instead. This type of luggage whilst providing greater weight/size/capacity ratios also offers greater versatility as far as storage is concerned (see SL2011/2012).

Cabin Baggage

Carry-on baggage must be stowed in the aircraft cabin, which limits baggage to a size, weight and shape that will fit under a passenger seat, or in a storage compartment. According to the IATA cabin luggage should have a maximum length of 56cm(22”) width of 45cm(18”) and depth of 25cm(10”). These dimensions include the wheels and the handles. Again however, most airlines have their own individual Economy Class Specifications: -

British Airways / Iberia /Thai Air / TAM (56x45x25cm)
Air France / KLM / LAN / Alitalia (55x35x25cm)
United Airlines (55x35x23cm)
Easyjet / Thomson Fly (55x40x20cm)
RyanAir (55x45x20cm)
Flybe (50x35x23)
Lufthansa (50x40x20cm)
Emirates (55x38x20cm)
Cathay Pacifi / ; Virgin Atlantic (56x36x23cm)
(*Feb 2007 SL2004 fits all above allowances)

Carry on items must remain with the passenger at all times and are their responsibility.