Airline baggage allowances

This chart is intended to help photographers with heavy expensive and fragile telephoto lenses choose which airlines to fly based on carry-on luggage limits. It is work in progress and any additional data is appreciated. Economy fares are assumed.

Please note that some airlines codeshare with other companies for the whole or part of a route. In this case the allowances may be the lower of the two companies. Where only one dimension is given, it is the total of width+length+height.

Green background = Lowepro Lenstracker 600 with 600mm lens compatible.
Note the 600 bag is 56cm high but bulges with Sigma 300-800mm lens. A bag of max carry-on size will fit the lens diagonal but with little padding.

Yellow background = compatible with my new bag 55 x 35 x 25 and at least 10kg

See also country specific regulations beneath table.

European union restrictions: Carry-on size now 56x45x25cm.

UK department of transport relax carry-on restriction by allowing a second bag from 7 Jan 2008 (but see individual airlines and airports restrictions)

Fluids in 100ml max containers in a single transparent resealable plastic bag max 20cm x 20cm.
Spare lithium batteries should be in carry-on luggage with terminals covered. Equipment with installed lithium batteries is OK to check.

Airline	Checked	Carry-on	Carry-on size	Source	Date checked	Notes
British Airways	23kg	23Kg - must be able to lift in overhead. (+Briefcase or laptop size bag )	56x45x25cm	www.britishairways.com	Dec 2008	Fee for overweight checked bags (up to 32kg) £25. Additional checked bags, £75 longhaul, £30 shorthaul, £20 domestic. 2 bags allowed USA/Canada, Carribean, Nigeria, S. America, Kenya, Ghana, Mexico. [Personal story]
Continental	23kg x2 (157cm) (32kg x2 to Brazil) No free allowance within USA, Canada, Puerto Rico and US virgin islands. ($15 first bag, $25 2nd)	18kg (Plus a personal item except Belfast)	115cm	www.continental.com	Dec 2008	Personal item described as briefcase, purse, day planner, small laptop computer, camera case, compact disk player or similar sized personal entertainment item . *Where checked allowance is 1 bag, additional bag costs $25. [Personal story]
American Airlines	23kg x2* No free allowance within USA, Canada, Puerto Rico and US virgin islands. ($15 first bag, $25 2nd)	18kg total of 1 piece plus personal item.	114cm Personal item 91cm to fit under seat.	www.aa.com	Dec 2008
Aeromexico	23kg x 2 (158cm) 23kg x1 USA, central America 20kg x1 to Sao Paulo 25kg within Mexico 32kg x 2 Asia, South America, Lima	10kg Plus briefcases, handbags, Laptop.	115cm	www.aeromexico.com	Dec 2008
Monarch	20kg*	10kg (everything must be inside the one bag)	56x45x25cm	www.flymonarch.com	Dec 2008	*Checked bags cost 6.99 - 8.99 Pounds each way if booked online or 12 Pounds at the airport. There is no free allowance. Excess baggage charge £6 / Kg for up to 32kg checked.
Iberia (Spain)	23kg 23kg x 2 Americas, Africa, Middle east	10kg plus small briefcase, handbag, small camera or video camera or binoculars, laptop.	115cm (55x40x20cm)	www.iberia.com	Dec 2008	Equitorial Guinea 1x23kg checked in high season, 2 x 23kg low season.
Kenyan	20kg 23kg x 2 Europe to Nairobi, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, Khartoum, Kigali, Bujumbura, Lusaka, Lilongwe, Kinshasa and Addis return	10kg (Total weight )	56x36x20cm 1 piece Briefcase or laptop size bag, small camera, ladies handbag allowed unconditionally.	www.kenya-airways.com	Dec 2008	Overweight checked bags (up to 32kg) Euro 50. Extra pieces not exceeding max weight and size, Euro 150.
Delta Airlines	23kg x2 Latin America,middle east, Africa, Europe, Canada 32kg x2 Brazil if ticket purchased in Brazil or Japan No free allowance within USA, Canada, Puerto Rico and US virgin islands. ($15 first bag, $25 2nd)	18kg	56x35x23cm plus a personal item (Purses, briefcases, camera cases, and diaper bags or item of similar or smaller size except Manchester or Edinburgh)	www.delta.com	Dec 2008
Air France	Complex (From 20kg)	12kg (Total of 1 item and personal item)	55x35x25cm	www.airfrance.com	Dec 2008	Use the calculator on the website to find your checked allowance.
KLM	20kg	12kg (Including coat /blanket, walking stick, camera, small laptop etc)	55x35x25cm (115cm USA)	www.klm.com	Dec 2008	Checked 2x23kg to USA/Canada - 158cm each; [Personal story]
United Airlines	23kg x 2 20kg within Asia	? no limit	55x35x22cm 112cm	www.united.com	Aug 2008	Brazil checked 2 x 32kg.
Easyjet	20kg total weight*	Able to lift it overhead	55x40x20cm	www.easyjet.co.uk	Aug 2008	*Checked bags cost 3.99 Pounds each way if booked online or 10 Pounds at the airport. Up to 8 bags but total 20kg - additional £7/kg up to 50kg max.
RyanAir	15kg total weight*	10kg	55x40x20cm	www.ryanair.com	Nov 2008	Checked bags £16 each way. Half price for 1st bag if booked online. Up to 3 bags allowed but 15kg combined weight limit. Additional kg £12 each. [Personal story]
Thomson Fly	Flight only customers 20kg (longhaul premium seats 23kg) if booked and paid for with ticket from £6.50 per item. Package holidays see ticket.	10kg (But checked + carry-on total 25Kg. Longhaul premium seats 30kg)	55x40x20cm	www.thomsonfly.com	Aug 2008	Excess £10 per Kg longhaul, £6 shorthaul per flight - 50% discount for advance online booking. Package tours have different allowances - see brochure or ticket. 10kg carry-on cannot be increased.
Flybe	20kg*	10kg	50x35x23cm	www.flybe.com	Aug 2008	Checked luggage fee £13 or £7.99 if booked online. Excess baggage £9/kg.
Austrian Airlines	20kg	8kg	55x40x23cm	www.aua.com	Aug 2008	23kg x2 checked for USA, Canada, Mexico [Personal story]
Swiss Int.	20kg	8kg	55x40x20cm Plus small camera	www.swiss.com	Aug 2008	23kg x2 checked for USA
Air India	20kg	8kg	55x40x20cm	www.airinia.com	Aug 2008	23kg x2 checked for USA
Air Greenland	20kg	8kg	50x40x23cm	www.greenland-guide.dk/gla/	Aug 2008
Lufthansa	20kg	8kg	55x40x20cm	www.lufthansa.com	Aug 2008	Checked baggage 23kg x2 long haul.
LAN (Equador, Peru, Chile)	20kg	8kg	55x35x25cm	www.lan.com	April 2006	Checked baggage varies with route
S. African Airways	20kg	7kg	52x40x23cm	www.flysaa.com	Aug 2007	More checked to USA see website
Qantas	20kg	7kg	115cm	www.qantas.com	April 2006	Checked allowance varies
Air Seychelles	23kg	7kg	115cm	www.airseychelles.com	April 2006	20kg checked on regional sectors
Singapore Airlines	20kg	7kg	115cm	www.singaporeair.com	Aug 2007
Air Mauritias	23kg	7kg	56x45x25cm	www.airmauritius.com	Aug 2007
Emirates	20kg	7kg	55x38x20	www.emirates.com	Aug 2007
Etihad	20kg	7kg	115cm	www.etihadairways.com	Aug 2007
Qatar Airways	20kg	7kg	50x37x25cm	www.qatarairways.com	Aug 2007
Cathay Pacific	20kg	7kg	56x36x23cm	www.cathaypacific.com	Aug 2007
Eva Air	20kg	7kg	56x36x23	www.evaair.com	Aug 2007
Thai Air	20kg	7kg	56x46x25	www.thaiair.com	Aug 2007
Tame (Galapagos)	20kg	7kg	61x40x25cm	www.tame.com.ec	April 2008	Excess checked baggage 1% fare per kg if available.
Virgin Atlantic	23kg	6kg	56x36x23cm	www.virgin-atlantic.com	Dec 2008	Double checked on some routes but size restrictions [Personal story]
British Midland	20kg	Able to lift in overhead + small personal item.	55x40x23cm	www.flybmi.com	April 2008
TAP Portugal	20kg	6kg	55x40x20cm	www.flytap.com	April 2008	Checked to Brazil, Caracas and NY is 2 x 23kg
Loganair (Scotland)	15kg	6kg	51x38x25cm	www.loganair.co.uk	April 2006
SN Brussels	20kg	6kg	55x40x20	www.flysn.co.uk	April 2006	23kg x2 checked to USA
Air Malta	20kg	5kg	50x45x18cm	www.airmalta.com	April 2008	[Personal story]
Varig (Brazil)	20kg	5kg	115cm	www.varig.com	April 2008	Some routes checked is 2 x 32kg.
Alitalia	20kg	5kg	55x35x25cm	www.alitalia.co.uk	Feb 2007
China Eastern	30kg	5kg	none stated	www.chinaeastern.co.uk	April 2008
TAM (Brazil)	23kg	5kg	55x40x20cm	www.tam.com	April 2008	2 carry-ons to Europe and USA except UK; Checked 32kg x2 to some dests inc Europe, USA.
Malaysia Airlines	20kg	5kg	56x36x23cm	www.malaysiaairlines.com	Aug 2008	Link downloads a pdf file
Egyptair	20kg	not stated	55x45x25cm	www.egyptair.com	Aug 2008	More checked to USA see website

Information supplied as a guide only. Please check individual airlines websites before making use of information.

Country specific regulations

(These are difficult to verify on Internet so they are based mainly on individual reports)
The lower of the Airline and country allowances will apply.

Germany maximum carry-on weight 8kg
New Zealand carry-on 7kg plus laptop plus ladies handbag (weight checked at security)
Australia - one report of 5kg limit from 1997 (can anyone verify this more recently ?)

UK - Carry-on size of 56x45x25cm 23Kg. Fluids must be in 100ml or smaller bottles. All bottles to be in transparent resealable plastic bag maximum size 20cm x 20cm. One plastic bag per person only.
Government guidlines now allow a second carry-on bag but see individual airlines restrictions plus not all airports comply yet.

UK Stanstead Airport - Carry on size maximum 56x40x20cm

Poland - no hand luggage to UK

Brazil - Congonhas Airport (SBSP/CGH - Sao Paulo's domestic airport) Hand luggage 5Kg 55cm tall. Source

Rio airport security would not allow my Monopod in hand luggage even though it collapsed to allowable size and was in the same bag as the longer 800mm f5.6 lens. They said it was because it extended and sent me back to check it in. Also they would not allow an allen key found in my pocket. Expensive equipment has to be declared on entering the country and they wanted all serial numbers listed so it would be wise to have a list ready. You then have to show the declaration and equipment before you go through security when leaving. BA pre-checkin assistant felt the weight of my carry-on bag and commented on the size but did not actualy weigh it - it was about 15kg and exactly allowable size.

Please be aware that restrictions that apply to specific countries or airports may also apply to flights that pass through them even though your journey does not start or end at them.