3.4 Airline Passenger Products, Baggage Rules & Ancillary Services
Key Takeaways
- The Piece Concept governs most journeys to, from and within the Americas: bags are counted, each capped at 158 cm total dimensions and typically 23 kg economy or 32 kg premium.
- The Weight Concept, used on most other routes, adds every checked bag into a single kilogram allowance, commonly 20 to 40 kg depending on carrier, cabin, route and fare family.
- Spare lithium batteries and power banks are forbidden in checked baggage and travel in the cabin only; spares of 100 to 160 Wh are limited to two and require operator approval.
- Montreal Convention 1999 baggage liability rose to 1,519 SDR per passenger on 28 December 2024, replacing the 1,288 SDR figure; ICAO reviews the limits roughly every five years.
- An IATA baggage tag licence plate is ten digits - one leading digit, the carrier's three-digit numeric code, then a six-digit serial - linking the bag to its Baggage Source Message.
The Unbundled Airline Product
Airlines no longer sell one economy seat. They sell branded fare families: a stripped base product plus tiers that add back baggage, seat choice, flexibility and loyalty earning. The consultant's job is to quote the conditions, not just the number.
| Attribute | Basic / Light | Standard / Classic | Flex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checked bag | None, or purchase separately | Usually one piece or the standard weight allowance | Standard or enhanced allowance |
| Seat selection | Chargeable at booking | Free from a set number of hours before departure | Free at any time, including preferred seats |
| Changes | Normally not permitted | Change fee plus fare difference | Free or low fee plus fare difference |
| Refund | None | Usually none, or heavy penalty | Permitted, sometimes with a small fee |
| Loyalty earning | Reduced miles and tier credit | Standard | Highest |
Real branded families follow this pattern with different names - for example Lufthansa Economy Light, Classic and Flex; Air France Light, Standard and Flex; Emirates Special, Saver and Flex. Trap: "Light" or "Basic" almost always means hand baggage only, so a quote that ignores the checked bag is not comparable with a competitor's Standard fare.
Cabin Baggage
Allowances vary by carrier, cabin and aircraft, but a very common reference maximum is 56 x 45 x 25 cm (22 x 18 x 10 in) including wheels and handles, sometimes with a weight limit starting around 5 kg, plus one small personal item that fits under the seat. Oversized cabin bags are gate-checked into the hold - which is exactly when spare batteries must be removed.
The Two IATA Baggage Systems
| Piece Concept | Weight Concept | |
|---|---|---|
| Where applied | Most journeys to, from and within the Americas, above all the United States and Canada | Most other routes, including much of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia |
| Unit of allowance | Number of pieces | Total kilograms for all checked bags combined |
| Size limit | Commonly 158 cm / 62 in total of length + width + height per piece | Carriers still set a maximum linear size per piece |
| Weight per piece | Typically 23 kg / 50 lb economy; 32 kg / 70 lb premium cabins | 32 kg is the usual maximum single-bag handling limit |
| Typical free allowance | 0 to 2 pieces by fare family and cabin | Commonly 20 kg to 40 kg |
Free allowances are set by the carrier and the fare rule, never by IATA, so always read the fare rule for the specific route and fare family. On interline journeys the allowance is determined by the rules of the carrier that operates the most significant sector under IATA baggage-provision rules, and codeshares can differ from the marketing carrier's own published table.
Worked Example: How Excess Charges Stack
Weight Concept. A passenger flying MAD-DXB-BKK holds a 30 kg allowance and presents three bags of 12 kg, 15 kg and 14 kg.
- Total presented = 41 kg. Excess = 41 - 30 = 11 kg, charged at the carrier's published per-kilogram excess rate for the route.
- No single bag exceeds 32 kg, so all three are acceptable for handling.
- The number of bags is not charged under the Weight Concept, only the total weight.
Piece Concept. A passenger flying LHR-JFK on a fare that permits one piece checks two bags: bag 1 is 22 kg and 150 cm; bag 2 is 27 kg and 168 cm. Three separate charges can apply at once:
- Extra piece fee - bag 2 exceeds the free piece count.
- Overweight fee - bag 2 falls in the 23 kg to 32 kg band.
- Oversize fee - bag 2 exceeds 158 cm total dimensions.
A bag above 32 kg, or grossly oversized, is usually refused at acceptance entirely and must move as cargo.
Special and Oversize Items
- Sports equipment - golf bags, skis, bicycles and surfboards are often accepted within the normal allowance or at a fixed special-item fee, frequently with length caps and a packing requirement.
- Musical instruments - small instruments travel as cabin baggage; a cello or guitar usually needs its own purchased seat, requested as cabin-baggage seating and paid for as an extra seat.
- Mobility aids - wheelchairs and other assistive devices are carried free of charge and in addition to the baggage allowance under most regimes, including EU Regulation 1107/2006 and the US Air Carrier Access Act. Battery-powered aids need advance notification; installed lithium batteries are commonly permitted up to about 300 Wh with operator approval, and spares must go into the cabin.
Restricted and Dangerous Goods in Baggage
Passenger provisions sit in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR), and the lithium rules are the highest-frequency exam and real-world topic:
- Devices with installed batteries up to 100 Wh: cabin preferred; permitted in the hold only if switched fully off and protected from activation.
- Spare batteries and power banks: cabin only, never in the hold - terminals taped or in original packaging.
- Spares over 100 Wh and up to 160 Wh: cabin only, maximum two, operator approval required.
- Over 160 Wh: forbidden on passenger aircraft; must ship as cargo under the DGR.
- Power banks in 2026 practice: many carriers limit passengers to two, ban overhead-bin stowage, ban in-flight recharging and require them to stay within reach.
- E-cigarettes and vapes: cabin only, never charged on board. Smart luggage with a non-removable battery is forbidden.
- Aerosols and toiletries: non-radioactive medicinal or toiletry articles are limited to 0.5 kg or 0.5 L per article and 2 kg or 2 L in total per passenger, with release valves protected.
Security Screening: The Liquids Rule
The default worldwide rule remains 100 ml per container inside one transparent resealable bag of about one litre. The United States applies its 3-1-1 version at every checkpoint - 3.4 oz containers, one quart-size bag, one bag per passenger - with exemptions for medicines, baby formula and duty-free in sealed tamper-evident bags. Airports certified with C3 / CT scanners may allow containers up to two litres with no bag at all, and by 2026 that includes several UK and EU airports. Advise clients that limits vary by state and even by airport, and that the return airport may still enforce 100 ml.
Baggage Tags and the Licence Plate
At acceptance the agent issues an interline bag tag in the form set by IATA Resolution 740. Its key field is the ten-digit licence plate number (LPN), printed as a barcode and in plain text:
1 leading digit + 3 digits carrier numeric code + 6 digits serial = 10 digits
The LPN indexes the Baggage Source Message (BSM) sent by the airline's Departure Control System to the airport's baggage handling system, which is what allows automated sorting and, under Resolution 753, tracking at defined points in the journey.
When Baggage Goes Wrong
A passenger whose bag is delayed, damaged or missing must file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the baggage service office before leaving the airport. Montreal Convention 1999 deadlines then bite:
| Event | Written complaint deadline |
|---|---|
| Damaged checked baggage | 7 days from receipt |
| Delayed checked baggage | 21 days from the date it is placed at the passenger's disposal |
| Baggage not arrived after 21 days | Treated as lost; court action within 2 years |
Carrier liability for destruction, loss, damage or delay of baggage is capped at 1,519 SDR per passenger, effective 28 December 2024 and replacing the previous 1,288 SDR figure. SDR (Special Drawing Right) is an IMF unit of account whose value moves daily, and ICAO reviews the limits roughly every five years - so quote the concept and the current figure, never a fixed currency amount. A passenger may buy a higher limit by making a special declaration of value at check-in.
Ancillary Services
Seat selection, prepaid extra bags, lounge access, paid upgrades, onboard Wi-Fi, priority boarding, pre-ordered meals and unaccompanied-minor handling are all sold as ancillaries and fulfilled on an EMD (Electronic Miscellaneous Document), the IATA standard document for optional services. An EMD linked to a specific flight coupon differs from a standalone one, and the mechanics of issuing, associating and settling EMDs are covered in section 7.4.
A passenger checks in for a Weight Concept sector holding a 30 kg free allowance. She presents two bags weighing 34 kg and 7 kg. Which statement correctly describes the acceptance outcome?
At bag drop a passenger mentions that a 74 Wh power bank is packed inside the suitcase he is checking in. What must the agent do?
A passenger arrives on an international flight and finds his checked suitcase visibly damaged. Which combination of rules applies under the Montreal Convention 1999?