How do I travel with extra luggage?

Pay for an additional bag Before you check into your flight, you can buy an additional bag to put in the hold. This is a costly option that gets more expensive the closer to your date of departure and even costlier if added on at the airport.



Traveling with extra luggage in 2026 requires a choice between paying airline excess fees or using a luggage shipping service. If you choose the airline route, it is almost always significantly cheaper to "pre-pay" for your extra bags online through the airline's app at least 24 hours before your flight; "walk-up" rates at the airport counter can be double the price. For more than two extra suitcases, you should consider specialized services like Luggage Forward or SendMyBag. These companies pick up your suitcases from your home and deliver them directly to your hotel or destination, often for less than the cost of "oversized" airline fees. This also allows you to travel "hands-free" through the airport. If you are a frequent traveler, carrying a high-end credit card with "Baggage Credits" (like the Amex Platinum or Ritz-Carlton card) can help offset these costs. Another tip is to weigh your bags at home using a digital scale; in 2026, airlines are extremely strict about the 50lb (23kg) limit, and just one extra pound can trigger a "Heavy Bag" fee that often costs more than the original ticket.

People Also Ask

What happens if my luggage is overweight? For hold luggage, most airlines set a weight limit for single items of luggage. Usually, this is 23kg. If your hold luggage is over and you haven't paid for extra, you might be charged.

MORE DETAILS

If your hand baggage is over the weight limit, you will need to check it in and it will count towards your checked baggage allowance. If this then takes you over your free checked baggage allowance, or if you are travelling on a hand baggage only (Basic) fare, you will need to pay for extra baggage at the airport rate.

MORE DETAILS

Before you check into your flight, you can buy an additional bag to put in the hold. This is a costly option that gets more expensive the closer to your date of departure and even costlier if added on at the airport. There are still weight limitations and not every airline will allow you to book an extra suitcase.

MORE DETAILS

It's nearly always cheaper to book extra hold luggage in advance rather than paying excess baggage fees at the airport. Airlines know that keeping within weight/size limits is not always possible, so they encourage you to plan ahead by selling extra weight online.

MORE DETAILS

That depends if you have several kg overweight and are asking for the price per kg or if you really just only have one single kg extra. For a singe kg above the limit you most probably will not get charged, especially not on a full service airline. There is usually a tolerance in the range of 2–3kg, sometimes up to 5.

MORE DETAILS

On all flights, except to and from the United States, each passenger can purchase a checked luggage weight allowance of 20 kg, 25 kg, 30 kg, or 40 kg. It doesn't matter how many bags the total weight is split into, but no bag can be over 32 kg (70 lbs) in weight and 319 cm (126 inches) in total dimensions.

MORE DETAILS

It's rare to find U.S. airlines with free checked baggage. Southwest Airlines is the only airline without any bag fees. For other airlines, you'll need to earn elite status or book your tickets with an airline credit card.

MORE DETAILS

Extra baggage up to 15kg costs between £10 and £15 for domestic flights and up to £20 for bags weighing 23kg. Rates for additional bags on international flights range from £38 to £45 for the first bag.

MORE DETAILS

It's nearly always cheaper to book extra hold luggage in advance rather than paying excess baggage fees at the airport. Airlines know that keeping within weight/size limits is not always possible, so they encourage you to plan ahead by selling extra weight online.

MORE DETAILS

How do I add bags/equipment to an existing booking?
  1. Click 'My Bookings' on Ryanair's website or 'My trips' on the mobile app.
  2. Log into your myRyanair account.
  3. Select 'Manage this booking' on the booking you need to change.
  4. Select the 'Add bags/equipment' option.
  5. Add bags/equipment needed.
  6. Continue to payment.


MORE DETAILS

What if my luggage is 0.5 kg overweight? It's over the limit so assume you will be charged. There must be something in your hand luggage you can put in your pocket to get it under. Wear a coat with big pockets.

MORE DETAILS

Sticking a foot under a luggage scale to get bags under the limit is becoming a viral travel hack. People on TikTok say they've tried this trick and gotten away with bringing a heavy bag on board. Others say using this travel hack could endanger airline staff and one's fellow passengers.

MORE DETAILS

Do airlines allow 1kg overweight? Bags weighing 50 to 70 lb (23 to 32 kg) are accepted as overweight. Bags measuring 63 to 115 in (160 to 292 cm) are accepted as oversized.

MORE DETAILS