Airline Rulebook

International Baggage Allowances: Piece, Weight and the Rules Between

The most expensive misunderstanding in international travel is assuming baggage rules are global. They are regional, and they collide on connecting tickets.

Priya Raghunathan · March 23, 2026 · 9 min read

A passenger flies Frankfurt to São Paulo on Lufthansa with one 23 kg bag, no problem. The return sector, ticketed the same way but operated by a partner using a weight based allowance, treats the same suitcase as 3 kg overweight. Nothing changed except the governing rule.

The two systems

Piece system

You get a number of bags, each with a maximum weight and maximum linear dimensions. Standard economy is typically one or two pieces at 23 kg each, with linear dimensions of 158 cm, meaning length plus width plus height. This system dominates travel to and from the Americas.

Weight system

You get a total weight, and the number of bags is secondary. Common allowances are 20, 25 or 30 kg in economy. This system is standard across much of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and intra European travel on legacy carriers.

Carrier	System	Economy allowance
American Airlines, transatlantic	Piece	1 x 23 kg
Air Canada, international	Piece	1 to 2 x 23 kg by fare
Emirates	Weight	20 to 35 kg by fare
Singapore Airlines	Weight	25 to 35 kg by fare
Qantas, international	Piece	1 to 2 x 23 kg
Lufthansa, intra Europe	Piece	1 x 23 kg on most fares
Kenya Airways	Weight or piece by route	23 to 46 kg
Japan Airlines, international	Piece	2 x 23 kg on many routes

Typical economy allowances, verify per ticket

Which rule applies on a connecting ticket

IATA Resolution 302 provides the answer, and it is known as the most significant carrier principle. In simplified form, the airline operating the most significant sector of the journey sets the baggage rules for the entire ticket.

Determine the tariff areas your journey crosses. Broadly, area 1 is the Americas, area 2 is Europe, Africa and the Middle East, area 3 is Asia and Oceania.
Where the journey crosses between areas, the carrier operating the first sector between those two areas is normally the most significant carrier.
That carrier's baggage policy applies to every sector on the ticket, including the domestic feeder flights at either end.
This is why a domestic US sector on a ticket that continues to Europe often carries a free bag when the same flight bought alone would not.

Snow capped peaks reflected in a still alpine lake — Ski and sports equipment has its own rules, often free within the allowance in winter and chargeable outside the season.

Special categories

Item	Typical treatment	Advance notice needed
Skis and snowboards	Counts as one piece on most carriers	Recommended
Golf clubs	One piece, often within allowance	Recommended
Bicycles	Charged separately on most airlines, boxed	Yes
Surfboards	Length limits apply, often charged	Yes
Musical instruments	Small ones in cabin, larger may need a seat	Yes
Mobility equipment	Carried free of charge under most regulations	Yes, 48 hours
Pets in hold	Separate booking and fee, breed and temperature restrictions	Yes, weeks ahead

Mobility equipment deserves emphasis. In the European Union, the United States and several other jurisdictions, wheelchairs and mobility aids travel free and outside the baggage allowance. Damage to them attracts higher liability than ordinary baggage under US rules. Notify the airline in advance so the correct handling is arranged.

What to do when the allowance is wrong at the desk

01
Show the e-ticket receipt, not the app
The receipt's printed allowance is the contractual figure. App summaries are frequently generic.
02
Name the most significant carrier
If your longest international sector is on a piece system carrier, say so. Ground staff at the feeder airport may only see their own airline's default.
03
Ask for a supervisor rather than arguing at the desk
Front line staff often cannot override the system. Supervisors can, and this specific dispute is common enough that they recognise it.
04
Pay under protest if you must travel
Get a receipt, note the agent's name, and claim afterwards in writing with the e-ticket attached. This works more often than it should need to.
05
Redistribute weight before paying
Moving 3 kg into a companion's bag or into your cabin bag is free. Excess weight charges are not.

Terraced hillside farmland in soft morning light — Weight based systems dominate the routes where connecting traffic is heaviest, which is precisely where the two systems collide.

Reducing what you pay

Buy the allowance at booking. Every airline in every system prices it lowest there.
Check whether your fare family already includes it before adding a bag. Duplicate purchases are not automatically refunded.
Frequent flyer status usually adds a piece or 10 to 20 kg, and it applies on partner airlines within the same alliance.
Many airline co brand credit cards include a free checked bag, which pays for itself in two return trips.
Consider shipping. For heavy sports equipment or a long stay, a courier is frequently cheaper than airline excess and arrives without you carrying it.
Weigh at home. Excess charges at the desk are the highest price per kilogram you will ever pay for anything.

Frequently asked

Does the 158 cm limit include wheels and handles?

Yes. Measure the case as it stands, with wheels and any protruding handle. Manufacturers sometimes quote internal dimensions, which are smaller.

Can I combine allowances across a family booking?

On weight based carriers, usually yes, if you are on the same booking and check in together. On piece systems, no, each passenger gets pieces.

What is the liability if my bag is lost?

The Montreal Convention limit is currently 1,288 SDR per passenger for international carriage. You can declare a higher value at check in for a fee, which raises the ceiling.

Do I need to collect my bag at a connection?

Not on a single ticket with interline agreements, with a few exceptions. The main ones are first point of entry into the United States, where you clear customs and recheck, and some connections in Canada and Australia.