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.

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.

Airline	Checked	Carry-on	Carry-on size	Source	Date checked	Notes
British Airways	23kg	18Kg - must be able to lift in overhead. (+Briefcase or laptop size bag except Gatwick, Jersey, Newquay)	56x45x25cm	www.britishairways.com	Feb 2008	Additional checked bags, £120 longhaul, £60 shorthaul, £30 domestic. 2 bags allowed USA/Canada, Carribean, Nigeria, Brazil,Mexico.
Continental	23kg x2 (157cm) (32kg x2 to Brazil)	18kg Plus a personal item except for Gatwick, Bristol and Belfast.	130cm (114cm UK / Delhi)	www.continental.com	Feb 2008	Personal item described as briefcase, purse, day planner, small laptop computer, camera case, compact disk player or similar sized personal entertainment item
American Airlines	23kg x2	18kg Plus a personal item	114cm	www.aa.com	Feb 2008	Checked baggage different to some destinations. The carry on item but not the personal item counts towards the free baggage allowance.
Aeromexico	32kg x 2 (158cm) 20kg x1 to Brazil 25kg within Mexico	12kg Plus briefcases, handbags, Laptop.	115cm	www.aeromexico.com	Feb 2008	Carry-on limited to one piece 10kg and one piece checked 25kg on Aerolitoral flights.
Iberia (Spain)	20kg	10kg plus small briefcase, handbag, small camera or video camera or binoculars, laptop.	115cm (56x45x25cm)	www.iberia.com	Feb 2008	Some variation in checked allowance with country and date of flight.
Monarch	20kg*	10kg (everything must be inside the one bag)	56x45x25cm	www.flymonarch.com	Feb 2008	*Checked bags cost 3.99 Pounds each way if booked online or 10 Pounds at the airport. There is no free allowance. Excess baggage charge £10 / Kg for up to 32kg checked
Kenyan	20kg	10kg (Total weight )	56x36x20cm 1 piece 56x45x25cm 2 piece Departing London Briefcase or laptop size bag allowed unconditionally.	www.kenya-airways.com	Feb 2008	Visit the website and see if you can make sense of this. Does the bag have to shrink for the return trip to UK ? Does the briefcase count towards the weight ?
Delta Airlines	22.5kg x2	18kg	56x36x23cm	www.delta.com	Feb 2008	Dimensions converted from inches
Air France	Complex (From 20kg)	12kg (Total of 1 item and personal item)	55x35x25cm	www.airfrance.com	Feb 2008
KLM	20kg	12kg (Including coat /blanket, walking stick etc)	55x35x25cm (115cm USA)	www.klm.com	Feb 2008	Checked 2x23kg to USA/Canada - 158cm each;
United Airlines	23kg x 2	? no limit	55x35x23cm 114cm	www.united.com	Feb 2008	Brazil/Phillipines checked 2 x 32kg.. Within Asia total 20kg.
Easyjet	20kg total weight*	Able to lift it overhead	55x40x20cm	www.easyjet.co.uk	Feb 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 £6/kg up to 50kg max.
RyanAir	15kg total weight*	10kg	55x40x20cm	www.ryanair.com	Feb 2008	Checked bags £12 each way. Half price for 1st bag if booked online. Up to 3 bags allowed. Additional kg £7.50 each.
Thomson Fly	20kg (longhaul premium seats 30kg)	10kg (But checked + carry-on total 25Kg. Longhaul premium seats 35kg)	55x40x20cm	www.thomsonfly.com	Feb 2008	Excess £10 per Kg longhaul, £6 shorthaul per flight. Package tours have different allowances - see brochure or ticket. 10kg carry-on cannot be increased.
Flybe	20kg*	10kg	50x35x23cm	www.flybe.com	Feb 2008	Checked luggage fee £9 or £5 if booked online. Excess baggage £6/kg.
Austrian Airlines	20kg	8kg	55x40x23cm	www.aua.com	Feb 2007	23kg x2 checked for USA
Swiss Int.	20kg	8kg	55x40x20cm	www.swiss.com	Feb 2007	23kg x2 checked for USA
Air India	20kg	8kg	55x40x20cm	www.airinia.com	Feb 2007	23kg x2 checked for USA
Air Greenland	20kg	8kg	50x40x23cm	www.greenland-guide.dk/gla/	April 2006
Lufthansa	20kg	8kg	55x40x20cm	www.lufthansa.com	April 2008	Checked baggage 32kg or 23kg x2 to some destinations
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	Apr 2008	Double checked on some routes but size restrictions
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
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	April 2008	Link downloads a pdf file
Egyptair	20kg	not stated	55x45x25cm	www.egyptair.com	April 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. Gatwick is still one bag except for connecting flights.

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

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.