Physci

Your allowance is 2x32 Kg - the creaky BA IT system is not picking up the higher weight allowance because of your OWS status, most likely because of the (until recently) approach of saying that the allowance was 23Kg but the excess baggage charge was waived (so the ticket shows the baggage allowance but does not reflect the effect of the weight waiver). Now the policy is just 32Kg for OWS but the IT system is yet to catch up (and may never!) and show the higher allowance on the ticket.

Globaliser

Do we actually know for sure that the system has changed?

The former system meant that someone who was (say) Bronze when they booked but Silver when they flew would be allowed 32 kg. Their ticket would say 23 kg and BA would then waive the heavy bag charge up to 32 kg because of the passenger's current Silver status.

Conversely, someone who was Silver when they booked but Bronze when thy flew would have a ticket saying 23 kg, which is what they'd get on the day because they would no longer be Silver and no longer entitled to the heavy bag charge waiver. This would be consistent with the "benefits according to current status" approach applied to things like lounge access, seat pre-allocation and so on.

If the system has indeed changed so that the formal ticketed baggage allowance for someone booking as Silver is 32 kg, what happens if they have dropped to Bronze by the time that they fly? For the (then) Bronze to claim 32 kg as a contractual allowance would not be consistent with the BAEC approach to other benefits for members who've dropped a tier snce booking. The ticket does not say "32 kg but only so long as you are still Gold or Silver, otherwise 23 kg".

This is what makes me wonder whether the continuing appearance of "23 kg" on the ticket reflects the continuing existence of the former approach, with the website having merely simplified the statement of the effect of the underlying technical position.

AFAIK there has been no BA statement that has set out any change, and we have all been reading the tea leaves on the website (which are not inaccurate in their practical effect).

A continuation of the former approach could also incidentally have facilitated the withdrawal of the heavy bag charge waiver from others on the same booking as the Gold/Silver. Everyone would still have been ticketed at a 23 kg limit, with BA free to give waivers only to certain passengers and to change the categories at will.

Prospero

This guide as written was based on the last policy update, dated 01 March 2013. Effective, 30 September 2014 the policy changed as follows [message I received from our Corporate TA yesterday, originating from BA]

zinneken

ba.com says anyone traveling under the same booking as OW Sapphire gets an additional bag.
What about members of a family BAEC account, not under the same booking, but traveling on the same route on the same date with the OW Sapphire family member?
What about weight? Will the non OW Sapphire bags be 23 or 32 kg when traveling with a OW Sapphire family member? Thanks!

Globaliser

A household account has nothing to do with this. Either the non-status passengers are on the same booking as the Sapphire and get the same number of bags as the Sapphire (including an extra bag if the Sapphire is entitled to an additional bag); or they are not and do not.Whether or not the non-status passengers are on the same booking as the Sapphire, there is no waiver of the heavy bag charge for them. That waiver only applies to the Sapphire.

nalismom

Great guide Prospero!

if my flights are CPT/JNB-LHR on BA flight AVIOS award connecting to LHR-DFW BA metal on an AA award can my luggage be checked through from CPT/JNB to DFW or will I need to retrieve my baggage at LHR and re-enter Terminal 5 as a departure? I'm thinking it can be since the operating carrier is BA even though they are separate tickets.

I'm in planning stages of stitching two awards together and want to be clear on my options when chooses flights.

Globaliser

The bags can be through-checked to DFW.

gav0106

Just helping one of my staff with flight to Jamaica

She is taking extra bags, fell of my chair when I saw charge. Econ ticket 1st bag £55, this seems fair, all others £120 each Wow when did they go to that price.
Thinking to upgrade to prem econ, but then 1st bag is £120.

I really dont remember being that expensive!

zinneken

Let's say I have a FRA-LHR in business on one booking and a LHR-YUL in economy on another booking, both bookings with BA. How many bags will BA accept?

Globaliser

As many as you're prepared to pay for, up to a total of 10 checked bags per person.

If your question is how many bags will BA accept without extra charge, the strict answer is that for each sector, it's the number allowed on the respective ticket - and if you're over that on either sector, you will be charged accordingly.

scottish minnie

Great guide - good visuals. Thank you for this, I think I will print off a copy to avoid confusion.

Hubby and I recently flew ORD-LHR on WTP. I'm BA silver, he is bronze. We checked 3 bags - one of which weighed in at 25kg. We were given the option of transferring some of the contents over to the checked duffle bag which weighed in at less than 10kg or paying an excess. Two minutes and we had a couple of items moved over so it was no great hassle however it seems that the 32kg allowance may not be widely known.
Interestingly we were also told previously that the "bronze" allowance is 1 checked item only so the max for a silver and bronze travelling together on WTP was 3 items. Looks like I may be able to spread my return load a bit more evenly on my next trip

zinneken

Thanks! And if it is business FRA-LHR and economy LHR-YUL in one booking?

Globaliser

If it's on one ticket (ie a true connection), then it's the higher of the two allowances.

eefor jfp

I am currently Bronze flying Biz to the US on BA (AA metal on the transatlantic). The trip over will make me silver. On the way back I am in WTP (BA metal, obviously). According to the website and the guide, since my outbound was in biz, I get the biz allowance on the way back. So I should be allowed three bags x 32 kilos, correct? Is this fairly well known to the BA check-in staff in the US or should I be prepared with a print out from the website? Does it make a difference that first part of the trip was on AA metal?

A related question, since we're looking at this summer flying WTP as a family on the way back. According to the chart Prospero did there is NO difference between WTP for silver and WTP for everyone else (except a slightly heavier suitcase--and that ONLY applies to the silver member, not to companions on the same record).

So if you're blue or bronze, buying a WTP ticket instead of a WT ticket gives you an extra bag. But if you're silver, there is no difference (in terms of your baggage allowance) between WT and WTP? You have to be gold to get the extra bag, right? Or, to put it another way, silver gives you an extra bag only in WT; to get an extra bag in WTP, Club or First, you have to be gold?

Hands Mensing

Just a quick query - more than interest than anything but got a flight booked in F (non status). MMB says I am allowed 3 * 32kg (51 lbs) max which is fine except 32kg = 70lbs, is this a BA IT snafu or is it the grey area of the excess bag weight not being charged. It is highly unlikely I am going to be over the usual 23 kg in weight but don't want to be stung at NCL if I am - only likely to be taking one bag.