The big day is finally here! You’ve been looking forward to this trip since you started planning it and now you’re finally going. You’ve double checked all the times, checked-in online and nothing can possibly go wrong…
Then you pick up your bag and it’s a little bit heavier than you thought it would be. Fear starts to set in as you imagine the extra baggage costs but it’s too late to repack, so you just try your luck.
When you check in at the airport, your baggage is weighed, and you hold your breath as the numbers keep going up and up on the scale. The scale finally settles… you’ve just made it!
Sometimes, you don’t want your trip to be left up to chance when it comes to baggage restrictions. We’ve put together a list of all you need to know so there’s no need to stress for your next travel adventure or business trip.
DOMESTIC FLIGHTS
MANGO
Carry-on: One 7kg bag that can’t be bigger than 36cm (w) x 23cm (h) x 56cm (l).
Check-in: One 20kg bag, unless you’re a member of Mango Plus, then you get to take one 30kg bag. From Mango.com
SAA
Carry-on: One 8kg bag if you’re flying economy class and two 8kg bags if you’re flying business class. No matter which class you’re flying, carry-on baggage can’t be bigger than 36cm (w) x 23cm (h) x 56 cm (l).
Check-in: One 23kg bag if you’re travelling in economy class and one 32kg bag if you’re travelling business class. From flysaa.com
KULULA
Carry-on: One 7kg bag.
Check-in: One 20kg bag.
From Kulula.com
SAFAIR
Carry-on: One 7kg bag that is included in the ticket price.
Check-in: Checked-in baggage isn’t included in the ticket price. If you want to check-in baggage, you will need to pay an extra fee. If you pay it online while you’re booking your ticket, it will cost R155 for one 20kg bag. If you decide to check-in a bag at the airport, it’s going to cost you R250. From flysafair.co.za
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
SAA
SAA’s baggage allowances vary greatly depending on where in the world you’re flying to so double check the SAA website for more in-depth info. From flysaa.com
BRITISH AIRWAYS
Carry-on: They classify carry-on luggage as two different sizes: 56cm x 45cm x 25cm and 40cm x 30cm x 15cm. You can take one of each size and they can each weigh 23kg.
Check-in: One 23kg bag for economy class and two 23kg bags for business class travellers. It’s possible for economy travelers to get two 23kg bags depending on what kind of ticket they’ve bought and if they are members of the British Airways reward program. From britishairways.com
EMIRATES
Carry-on: One 7kg bag that can’t be bigger than 38cm (w) x 20cm (h) x 55cm (l) for economy. Business and first class get two bags allowance.
Check-in: Economy class travellers get 35kg, business class get 40kg and first class get 50kg. All classes can have up to 10 bags, as long as the total weight is under the above numbers and no single bag is more than 23kg. From emirates.com
QATAR
Carry-on: Economy class travellers get one 7kg bag while first and business class get two bags that can’t be more than 15kg together.
Check-in: Qatar’s baggage allowances vary greatly depending on where in the world you’re flying to so double check the Qatar website for more in-depth info. From qatarairways.com
THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T PUT IN YOUR CARRY-ON LUGGAGE
Tools- Liquids, gels and aerosols
- Lighters and matches
- Batteries
- Sharp objects
- Flammable items
- Explosives
- Chemicals
- Weapons
- Food (if you’re travelling internationally)
EXCESS BAGGAGE COSTS
If you are over the weight limit, or you need to check in an extra bag, you will have to pay a fee. Here are the costs that you should factor into your budgets just in case.
Top Tip: Always pay for excess baggage online when you’re booking your ticket. It’s usually a bit cheaper than paying for it at the airport.
Mango – You’ll pay R35 for every kilogram you’re overweight if you pay online. If you pay at the airport it costs R50 per kilogram.
SAA – R292.55 for every extra bag if you’re flying economy class and R393.43 per bag for business class travellers.
Kulula – R320 per extra bag online and R415 per bag at the airport.
Safair – R250 for an extra bag or if your bag is overweight.
Emirates – 50USD per extra bag.
British Airways – 36£ – 120£ per extra bag depending on the weight.
Qatar – 40USD per extra bag.
To avoid excess baggage costs, you can fill up your hand luggage to its full weight limit. It’s not ideal to have to carry around a 7/8kg bag but it might be better than paying the extra fees.
It always helps to be prepared for your travels to avoid stress and extra costs. Good luck and have fun on your next trip!