British Airways gives every passenger, including Economy Basic, one cabin bag (56 x 45 x 25cm / 22 x 18 x 10in) plus one under-seat handbag (40 x 30 x 15cm / 16 x 12 x 6in) at no charge. Checked baggage is a different story: Economy Basic includes none, standard Economy includes one bag up to 23kg (50lb), and an overweight bag between 23kg and 32kg costs a flat £65 / €75 / $100 / $100 CAD. Here’s exactly what you get, what you’ll pay, and how to avoid the fees.
| Item | Size (cm) | Size (in) | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under-seat handbag | 40 x 30 x 15 | 16 x 12 x 6 | Must be liftable unassisted | Free, all fares |
| Cabin bag | 56 x 45 x 25 | 22 x 18 x 10 | Must be liftable unassisted | Free, all fares |
| Checked bag (Economy) | Up to 90 x 75 x 43 | Up to 35 x 30 x 17 | Up to 23kg / 50lb | Included except Economy Basic |
| Checked bag (Business/First or Gold/Silver status) | Up to 90 x 75 x 43 | Up to 35 x 30 x 17 | Up to 32kg / 70lb | Included in fare/status |
| Overweight bag (23–32kg) | — | — | — | £65 / €75 / $100 / $100 CAD per bag, per one-way journey |
British Airways Baggage Allowance by Cabin Class
Your allowance depends on which cabin you’re sitting in, not just which fare you booked — Economy Basic is the one exception that strips out the checked bag. Economy (standard), Premium Economy, Business and First all include hand baggage plus at least one checked bag, and the checked allowance climbs with cabin and with British Airways Club (Executive Club) status.
- Economy Basic (hand baggage only fare): 1 cabin bag + 1 handbag. No checked bag included — you pay to add one.
- Economy (standard fares): 1 cabin bag + 1 handbag + 1 checked bag up to 23kg.
- Premium Economy: 1 cabin bag + 1 handbag + 2 checked bags up to 23kg each on most routes (a limited number of routes cap this at 1 bag — check Manage My Booking).
- Business: 1 cabin bag + 1 handbag + 2 checked bags up to 32kg each.
- First: 1 cabin bag + 1 handbag + 3 checked bags up to 32kg each.
- Gold and oneworld Emerald members: 2 checked bags at 32kg in Economy, rising with cabin, regardless of fare.
- Silver and oneworld Sapphire members: 2 checked bags at 32kg in Economy.
- Blue/Bronze members with no status perks: standard fare allowance applies — no automatic bump.
This is worth checking before you fly Economy Basic on a whim: the fare looks cheap until you need a hold bag, and BA’s add-a-bag price is calculated per route rather than published as one flat number, so what you’ll actually pay depends entirely on where you’re flying.
British Airways Hand Luggage: Cabin Bag and Handbag Rules
British Airways is more generous than most full-service carriers on hand luggage — every fare, including Basic, gets a full cabin bag plus a separate under-seat bag, and BA doesn’t publish a hard weight cap for either as long as you can lift the bag into the locker yourself.
The cabin bag can be up to 56 x 45 x 25cm (22 x 18 x 10in) including wheels and handles, and goes in the overhead locker. The handbag — BA’s term for the smaller personal item, which can be a laptop bag, backpack or purse — tops out at 40 x 30 x 15cm (16 x 12 x 6in) and has to fit under the seat in front of you. Pack medication, chargers, valuables and travel documents in the handbag specifically: if the flight is full and BA asks passengers to gate-check cabin bags, the handbag is the one item guaranteed to stay with you.
Two things regularly catch people out. First, wheels and handles count toward the measurement — a bag that’s “22 inches” on the label can still fail if the wheels push it past 56cm. Second, on some routes BA’s booking flow shows a personal-item size of 45 x 36 x 20cm instead of 40 x 30 x 15cm; always go with what’s shown against your specific fare in Manage My Booking rather than the general figure, since BA can vary this by route.
Power banks and spare batteries must travel in hand baggage — never in a checked bag — under BA’s current battery safety policy.
British Airways Checked Baggage: Weight and Size Limits
A standard British Airways checked bag — suitcase, duffel or hard case, the airline doesn’t distinguish by bag type — can weigh up to 23kg (50lb) in Economy or 32kg (70lb) in Premium Economy, Business and First, and must not exceed 90 x 75 x 43cm (35 x 30 x 17in) including any wheels, handles or pockets that stick out. This is the full answer to “how much luggage is allowed on British Airways”: one suitcase within those numbers per included bag, with extra suitcases available for a fee once you’re past your allowance. No bag over 32kg is accepted as a normal checked item at any price — if it’s heavier than that, you’ll need to split it into two bags or ship it separately.
| Cabin | Included bags | Max weight per bag |
|---|---|---|
| Economy Basic | 0 | — |
| Economy | 1 | 23kg / 50lb |
| Premium Economy | 2 (1 on some routes) | 23kg / 50lb |
| Business | 2 | 32kg / 70lb |
| First | 3 | 32kg / 70lb |
Oversized bags — anything bigger than the standard dimensions but within 190 x 75 x 65cm — are accepted as “out-of-gauge” items and need to go through the dedicated oversize bag drop at least 90 minutes before departure. Anything larger than that maximum, or a fragile item like a TV or monitor screen, isn’t accepted as checked baggage at all and has to travel as cargo through IAG Cargo instead.
British Airways Baggage Fees: Extra and Overweight Bags
The one number BA does publish outright is the overweight fee: £65 GBP, €75 EUR, $100 USD or $100 CAD per bag, per one-way journey, charged on any bag between 23kg and 32kg that’s over your allowance. That figure is fixed regardless of route.
Everything else is route-dependent and calculated through BA’s online baggage calculator or Manage My Booking rather than published as a flat table — BA’s own baggage page is explicit that “the cost of each extra hold bag depends on your destination and how many more bags you want to check in.” As a working guide, expect approximately £25–£140 for the first added bag depending on route and cabin, cheaper online than at the airport — treat that as a planning estimate and check the calculator for your exact route before you fly.
A few fee-avoidance rules worth knowing:
- Add bags online, not at the airport. BA’s online rate is always cheaper than the airport rate, and you can pay with cash-plus-Avios online — airport payment at Heathrow, Gatwick and North American airports is card-only, no cash.
- You can add up to 10 extra checked bags per person, provided there’s space and excess baggage is available on your flight; commercial quantities have to go through cargo.
- The 23kg limit applies per bag, not pooled across bags — you can’t average two bags at 20kg and 26kg to “balance out” the overweight charge.
- Gold and Silver Executive Club members get real headroom — 32kg per bag in Economy instead of 23kg — which is often worth more than the cash value of most credit card sign-up bonuses if you fly BA regularly.
Real Cost Examples: What You’d Actually Pay
- London to New York, Economy Basic, one checked bag added online in advance: approximately £25–£75 on top of the base fare depending on how far ahead you book — compare this against standard Economy, which includes the bag, before assuming Basic is the cheaper overall choice.
- London to New York, standard Economy, one bag overweight at 27kg (in the 23–32kg band): a flat £65/€75/$100/$100 CAD heavy bag charge, regardless of route.
- London to Sydney, Business Class, two included checked bags at 32kg each: no additional charge as long as both stay at or under 32kg — a genuine cushion over Economy’s 23kg limit for long-haul packing.
- London to Edinburgh (domestic UK), Economy Basic, bag added at the airport instead of online: the airport rate is consistently higher than the same bag added through Manage My Booking — BA is explicit that online pricing is always the cheaper option.
British Airways Baggage by Status: Executive Club Tiers in Detail
Executive Club status materially changes your checked baggage allowance, and it’s one of the more overlooked ways to avoid BA’s fees entirely:
- Blue and Bronze: no automatic bump — the standard fare-based allowance described above applies in full.
- Silver, and equivalent oneworld Sapphire or AerClub Concierge status: 2 checked bags at 32kg in Economy, rising with cabin — a meaningful upgrade from the standard single 23kg bag.
- Gold, and equivalent oneworld Emerald or AerClub Platinum status: the same 2-bag, 32kg Economy allowance as Silver, extending further in Premium Economy, Business and First.
Because these bumps apply “regardless of fare,” a Gold member flying Economy Basic still gets the enhanced checked allowance on top of the hand-baggage-only fare — worth remembering before assuming Basic means no checked bags at all if you hold status.
Special Items, Infants and Families
Musical instruments up to 80 x 45 x 25cm (31 x 18 x 10in) can travel as your cabin bag in place of a standard case; larger instruments up to 140cm need an extra seat and aren’t accepted in the hold in a soft case. Wheelchairs and mobility aids travel free and don’t count against your allowance.
Infants under two without their own seat get one 23kg checked bag plus up to two free extras from a defined list — a fully collapsible pushchair, a car or booster seat, a travel cot, or a baby carrier — and this applies even on an Economy Basic (hand baggage only) fare. Children aged 2–11 get the full adult hand and checked allowance for their cabin.
How to Avoid British Airways Baggage Fees
- Don’t book Economy Basic if you know you’re checking a bag. A fare one tier up that includes a checked bag is very often cheaper than Basic plus an added bag, especially on short notice.
- Add and pay for bags online before you check in. Once you’ve checked in, extra bags switch to the more expensive airport rate and Avios payment stops being an option.
- Weigh your bag at home. A £65/€75/$100 overweight charge for being 1kg over is one of the most avoidable fees in air travel — a £10 luggage scale pays for itself on the first trip.
- Check your Executive Club status before assuming you need to pay at all — Silver and above get materially higher weight allowances that many members forget to claim.
- If you’re a family with a stroller or car seat, check them for free using the family travel allowance rather than trying to squeeze them into your two-bag limit.
British Airways Baggage FAQ
What is the British Airways carry-on size limit?
56 x 45 x 25cm (22 x 18 x 10in) including wheels and handles for the cabin bag, plus a 40 x 30 x 15cm (16 x 12 x 6in) handbag that fits under the seat.
Does British Airways charge for carry-on bags?
No. Every fare, including Economy Basic, includes a free cabin bag and a free handbag.
How many checked bags does British Airways allow?
One in Economy, two in Premium Economy on most routes, two in Business and three in First — more if you hold Gold or Silver Executive Club, oneworld Emerald/Sapphire, or AerClub Platinum/Concierge status.
What is the British Airways checked baggage weight limit?
23kg (50lb) in Economy and Premium Economy on standard fares; 32kg (70lb) in Business, First, and for eligible status members in any cabin. No bag over 32kg is accepted.
How much does an overweight bag cost on British Airways?
A flat £65 / €75 / $100 USD / $100 CAD per bag, per one-way journey, for anything between 23kg and 32kg.
Does British Airways charge extra for international flights?
No — BA applies the same hand and checked baggage allowance on international and domestic routes; what changes is the extra-bag price shown at booking, which is calculated per destination.
Can I bring a stroller or car seat for free on British Airways?
Yes. Infants and children can check up to two of: a collapsible pushchair, a car or booster seat, a travel cot, or a baby carrier, free of charge — even on Economy Basic.
What happens if my British Airways bag is too big for the cabin?
It goes in the hold and counts toward your checked allowance; if that pushes you over your included bags, you’ll pay the extra-bag fee for your route.
Last verified: August 30, 2026. Baggage rules change — always confirm on British Airways’ official site before you fly.