How strict is British airways about carry on luggage?
If you have just booked a flight with British Airways and you only have carry on luggage and you are wondering how strict is British Airways about carry on luggage you have come to the right place.
Firstly British Airways are fairly strict with your carry on luggage in the sense that it needs to fit in the sizer compartment which can be found at the checked baggage desks or boarding desks. To fly with British Airways your hand luggage should be no bigger than the following dimensions:
56 x 45 x 25 cm (including any wheels or handles) – weighing no more than 23kg
These are the maximum height and weight baggage allowance for hand luggage when travelling via British Airways. Thankfully this should be more than enough if you are planning a short city break. If you are a world traveller going on a long haul international flight you will want to purchase extra baggage which can be stored in the hold below.
The hand baggage allowance for British Airways is more than adequate and is in line with other airlines such as American Airlines, EasyJet, Qatar airways or RyanAir. When travelling with British Airways you also get a secondary smaller bag which can be used as cabin luggage. This extra bag is useful for things you will need during flight such as an ereader, your phone, puzzles or items to keep your children entertained.
The secondary smaller baggage allowance size is:
40 x 30 x 15cm – weighing no more than 23kg
In our experience, British Airways do check the dimensions of the cabin baggage but we have never had our hand baggage weighed. This is something we have found they aren’t strict with. However, they often do check if your luggage fits the sizes advised above. Your cabin bag should be light and small anyway as you will need to store it under your seat or in the overhead locker if there is room available.
British Airways strictness on liquids
On a British Airways flight, you will only be allowed to carry liquids that are below 100ml in volume. This is in line with all other airlines policies and these liquids will need to be stored in a 20×20 see-through container. As this issue is related to safety for all British Airways passengers they are very strict on the size of your containers and the liquids that you carry on the flight.
If anyone is travelling with medical issues you should know that the medicine you carry does not come under this rule. For example, diabetics carrying insulin do not have to pack their insulin in this clear see through container and this isn’t included in your limit.
Whatever airline you do travel with please respect these limits as failure to do so will cause a delay when going through security and will end in your liquids being tipped out or left behind at the security gate.
What should I do if my bag is oversized?
If you are travelling with British Airways and you do have an oversized bag then you have two options, either pay for a checked bag which can be stored in the hold below or you can risk it. British Airways are fairly strict when it comes to their baggage allowance so risking it could result in excess baggage fees as your carry on baggage won’t fit below your seat or in an overhead bin.
With all of that said, if you have hand baggage that is larger than the recommended baggage dimensions but it can be folded or squashed to fit within those confines then you can do this. Our advice though would be to purchase a bag that fits the luggage allowance. With a second bag to you should have more than enough storage for a short stay.
Are there any ways to get a bigger bag onto a British Airway flight without having to pay extra?
As we mentioned above, British Airways are strict when it comes to your checked baggage allowance so your chances of not paying if your checked luggage is larger than their recommendations are very low. With that said if you check-in online you can bypass the first round of checks from the British Airway crew. You then only need to get past the boarding gate, but this is the place in our experience where baggage is checked for size, If you were to go to the check in desk you would be far more likely checked for size and weight too.
There is also a higher chance of your baggage getting weighed or checked if you fly in peak times. Busy flights are common during peak times so there is less storage in the overhead lockers than usual.
British Airways checked-in baggage allowance
If you have got this far you should now be considering getting hand luggage of the right size for your checked baggage if you don’t want to pay excess fees or for having the inconvenience of storing your baggage below in the hold.
Once again these sizes are:
Main cabin bag: 56 x 45 x 25 cm (including any wheels or handles) – weighing no more than 23kg
Second carry on bag: 40 x 30 x 15cm – weighing no more than 23kg
These carry on bags should be more than enough for a weekend away or short city break. Anything longer and you will need extra luggage. Some airlines provide free checked baggage however with British Airways you won’t get a free checked bag and prices start from £35 per flight. The longer you leave booking extra baggage the more you will have to pay. If you do want to save money when flying you should aim to book your stowed cabin bags online, especially if you are booking multiple bags as you could save a small fortune.
Travelling with British Airways
British Airways are a great airline to fly with and they have carry on baggage regulations so that your flight is comfortable for all and that all of the passengers on your flight have an equal chance of storing their carry on bags in the hold above or under their seat.
When it comes to taking an oversized carry on bag our advice would be not to do it unless you want to pay excess baggage fees. British Airways are fairly strict and you may as well purchase a bag that fits if you are a frequent flier. Baggage sizes for other airlines such as Easyjet and Jet2 are of a similar size too so if you fly with either of those airlines it would be far more cost effective to buy a cabin bag that fits them all.
If you do need a new cabin bag our recommendation would not be to purchase it at the airport as they are very expensive. Instead, buy a cabin bag from online websites such as Amazon or eBay as there are many bargains to be found online.