Yachtman

Would anyone have recent experience with how strictly the 23kg limit is adhered to? I'm flying EDI-LHR-SYD and have two bags, one larger and one smaller and it'll probably work out at 1 x 15 kg and 1 x 28kg. What is the likelihood I will be forced to repack or pay extra fees? In the past I've never had an issue, but noticed recently that the website has quite specific wording and it would be good to know how stringently this would be applied.

TTmex

On BA i was ok last time but AA made me repack in middle of CLT.. That's just one data point

The _Banking_Scot

Hi

Unless you have silver or gold status ( in which case you can have 32kg in a case) I woul think you will be charged or forced to repack the 28kg case. 5kg over the limit is a lot

regards

Tbs

Sprodo

I’d not count on it. I got lucky last week, I think partly as a Bronze to just have a 27kg & 17kg bag between us on the same booking but she did say it was a one off and I’d probably not get it on the return journey from an outstation. Doesn’t really make sense to me if a same booking but hey ho

bisonrav

It's one of these things where you'll get different answers from different people, and the only way to be sure is to equalize the weight or call BA first and get a ruling. Cheaper and less hassle to buy or borrow a cheap suitcase sometimes (if space is the issue) than to quibble about the fine detail.

My experience with outstations is that common sense usually prevails with overall weight. But it can't be guaranteed so you can't rely on it.

beachfan

They have to tag the overweight one as heavy, even if it isn’t charged for. Makes it more likely to be charged.

Jimbojumbo

I’ve been Bronze at LHR and the check in agent took an unnecessary delight in making me swap a 24.6 out to a 15kg second checked bag. Halfway through the swap asked me to move myself and both cases so she could check someone else despite other desks being empty. I took many deep breaths and assumed someone had p****d in her cornflakes and I was getting the brunt. I also bought some portable scales for future use.

I flew back from BCN Saturday afternoon and my main case was at 28kg (again as bronze - my portable scales were out of battery as I forgot to swap them during Covid and I’d bought a lot of bottles during my trip) The check-in agent didn’t bat an eyelid and just attached a “heavy” sticker.

I’ve watched over zealous agents on VS collar three people in a row for excess baggage at SFO while queuing and when weighing my underweight bag on the same scale was surprised to see it almost at the weight limit. The scales were obviously about 2kg out.

As another poster mentioned there are far too many variables to determine if rules are followed or not.

roberino

Repack the bags. Removes all doubt and the possibility of being forced to do it anyway at check in.

Ryanardo_daVinci

This depends on how the bags are treated along your route. In the UK, everything up to 32Kg is treated the same, the same is true pretty much everywhere in the Middle East.

In most of South America, everything over 23Kg requires a two-person lift, therefore they charge extra for it. The same is true in many parts of the US.

On that basis, you can (almost) guarantee that domestic routes, and DXB, RUH etc will be absolutely fine up to 32Kg, and most of America will have 23Kg very strictly enforced.

I’m afraid I don’t know how it works in Australia.

Geo772

All explained here: https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...age-allowances

From your profile you say you are QF Gold in which case your allowance would be 2x32kg as a OneWorld Sapphire member assuming you are flying on a BA flight the whole way.

vsadda

I have done this many times with many airline all over the world, but never with BA. I rarely had any issues. Most agents don't care for minor variations in weight of individual bags, as long as the total weight of all of your bags is within the limit and no bag is over the maximum weight allowed (32-35 kg). In any case, it is fairly easy to not raise the red flag. Most of the time you place 2 bags at a time on the scale for weighing. If you place the lighter one first, the agent won't even notice.

Having said that, you could always run into a dim-witted agent. Many years ago, a Spice Jet agent gave me trouble. One of my bags was 5-7 pounds over the limit, but the other one was 10-15 pounds under the limit. He wanted me to pay extra-baggage for the overweight bag. I tried to reason with him without luck. I stuck to my guns and he consulted with his manager and finally relented.

Krisz

I can see one big problem with this advice. if you put the lighter bag first and the agent tag it send it through the system and then place it the heavier one, if the agent really paying attention and does care of the weight, you might end up the lighter bag sent down and you either pay for the extra or need to take things out and place it where ever you can. So I would be careful.
It is true that at certain airports no one cares of the weight at all where in other places they make a fuss if your bag is 23.5 Kg
some airlines has concept of total bag weight which can be distributed in any number of bags but nothing is heavier than 32 Kg. (Qatar for example)
BA doesn't have this concept so in most cases no bags can be heavier than 23 Kg, unless you have Emerald or Sapphire. (or pay) Now you can try your luck but be prepared that you might need to repack.

vsadda

I thought I worded my sentences pretty carefully! I Guess not ... Firstly, I said that I have no experience with BA. Secondly, I said "Most of the time you place 2 bags at a time on the scale for weighing. If you place the lighter one first ...". That is not the same as - put the lighter bag first and let it be weighed, tagged and dispatched on the belt and then put the next bag - which is what you are describing and is what I am suggesting not to do. Even if the agent is "paying attention to the weight", he/she sees the lighter bag's weight first and the total weight next when the second bag is also placed, both of which are within allowed limit. An agent doesn't simply look at the weight of the first bag and "send it down". He/she has to print the tag, put the tag on and then put it on the belt. In fact, most agents (if there is space on the scale) tell me to put the second bag also just to speed up the check-in process. Also, there are no "big problems" here. Worst case, you will have to rejiggle your stuff. No big deal, assuming that the bags are suitable for a bit of a rejiggle. Phew!

I did notice that BA has an explicitly stated policy that each bag can't be heavier than 23kg from the link somebody posted earlier. However, generally speaking, these little nuances are discretionary for agents. More often than not, it is the common sense of the agents that matters. In my experience most agents, on most days use their common sense pretty well.

Does my advice always work? Heck no. I already said that "you could always run into a dim-witted agent" and even gave one my experiences with one such agent.

Bongodog1964

Every flight I've ever been on the check in clearly ask you to "place your 1st bag on the conveyor" I've never seen them weigh two bags together. I would do everything I could to try and balance out the cases, the last thing you want to be doing is arguing your case at the bag drop.

vsadda

To each his own... I certainly don't plan on getting into arguments at the check-in counter by intentionally packing bags in a lopsided way. Stuff happens...