Guide · Before you fly ·
Checked baggage allowance: how to avoid excess fees
Your checked baggage allowance depends on the airline, the route, the fare you bought and your frequent flyer status. Look it up for your own ticket and pack under it. If you need more room, add a bag online before you fly where the airline sells it. Both Qantas and Virgin Australia charge less for extra bags bought online.
Qantas says its international allowances changed from weight to pieces for tickets issued from 2 May 2012. Virgin Australia made the same change to its domestic and short-haul international flights for bookings made or changed from 16 May 2012.
Sources for this section: Qantas, Checked Baggage Allowance and Additional Baggage; Virgin Australia, Checked baggage allowance.
Weight or pieces: how airlines count
A weight allowance gives you a total number of kilograms to share across your checked bags. A piece allowance gives you a set number of bags, each with its own weight limit.
Take Virgin Australia's domestic Business fare. Booked and last changed before 16 May 2012, it allows up to 69 kg in total. Booked or changed on or after that date, it allows two pieces of up to 32 kg each. Under the piece rules, a third bag costs extra, even if all three are light.
Your booking, change or ticket issue date usually decides which rules apply. Virgin's Checked baggage allowance page says the piece rules apply to bookings created or changed on or after 16 May 2012. Virgin's page on earlier bookings says they apply to bookings created or changed after 10am AEST that day.
Sources for this section: Virgin Australia, Checked baggage rules for domestic bookings made before 16 May 2012; Virgin Australia, Checked baggage allowance; Qantas, Checked Baggage Allowance.
What Qantas and Virgin Australia allow
This table shows the piece rules for an adult with no frequent flyer status and no Qantas Club membership. Either can raise the numbers.
| Airline and route | Fare or cabin | Checked bags included |
|---|---|---|
| Qantas, within Australia | Economy | 1 piece, up to 23 kg |
| Qantas, international except the Americas | Economy | 1 piece, up to 23 kg |
| Qantas, to or from the Americas | Economy | 2 pieces, up to 23 kg each |
| Virgin Australia, domestic | Saver | None included, bags up to 23 kg can be bought (some flights differ) |
| Virgin Australia, domestic | Flexi | 1 piece, up to 23 kg |
| Virgin Australia, domestic | Business | 2 pieces, up to 32 kg each |
Neither airline takes a single bag over 32 kg. On domestic flights a bag can measure no more than 140 cm when you add its length, width and height. On Qantas, a domestic flight on the same ticket as an international flight counts as international travel. Some routes and flights have other limits. To or from Lord Howe Island, Qantas allows one 14 kg piece, and a bag over 14 kg, up to 23 kg, may not travel on the same flight.
Sources for this section: Qantas, Checked Baggage Allowance; Virgin Australia, Checked baggage allowance.
What an extra bag costs
Both airlines charge less if you add a bag online before you fly. Prices are domestic, in Australian dollars.
| Airline | First extra bag bought online | First extra bag at the airport | Bag over a 23 kg limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qantas | $20 | $30 | $20 heavy charge |
| Virgin Australia | $15 | $40 | $40 overweight fee |
On Qantas flights between Australia and countries other than New Zealand, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea, an extra bag is $90 online and $120 at the airport. Qantas sells extra bags online from booking up to 3 hours before the scheduled departure of your next Qantas-operated flight, and before check-in.
A Virgin Australia domestic Saver fare with no status includes no bag on flights Virgin Australia operates itself. Even your first bag costs $15 online. At the airport it costs $40 for each one-way journey. Virgin Australia says a bag bought online is not refunded if you do not use it.
Sources for this section: Qantas, Additional Baggage; Virgin Australia, Checked baggage allowance.
Dangerous goods: what stays out of your bags
Qantas says the Dangerous Goods Regulations of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the regulations of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority govern dangerous goods on aircraft. IATA's table for passengers bans dangerous goods from checked and carry-on bags unless the table allows them.
- Spare batteries for devices such as phones, cameras and laptops, including lithium ones, go in your carry-on bag only, each protected against short circuits. Lithium batteries rated over 100 watt-hours (Wh) are limited or banned.
- Under dangerous goods rules, toiletries such as hair spray and perfume may go in either bag. Non-flammable sports or home aerosols with no other hazard may go in checked bags only. Toiletries, medicinal articles and these aerosols together are limited to 2 kg or 2 L of contents in total and 0.5 kg or 0.5 L for each item. Aerosol valves need a cap or other suitable protection.
- Virgin Australia's list of items banned from every bag includes fireworks, flammable liquids such as paint and fuels, and petrol or gas engine equipment, new or used, such as chainsaws.
Virgin Australia says that if you take dangerous goods on board illegally, even by mistake, you may be liable to prosecution and severe penalties apply. If you are unsure about an item, ask the airline before you pack.
Sources for this section: Qantas, Dangerous Goods; Virgin Australia, Dangerous goods information; IATA, Dangerous Goods Regulations.
How to check and pack to stay under
- Find the rule for your own ticket. Note the airline, fare or cabin, route, status and booking or ticket issue date, then read that airline's baggage page.
- Check every airline on your trip. Virgin Australia says different allowances may apply when more than one carrier flies your journey. Qantas says to check the other airline's allowance before you travel.
- Weigh each bag at home and leave a little room. Under piece rules, a 24 kg bag will cost extra on a 23 kg limit, even if your other bags are light.
- Count bags as well as kilos. Put small items inside one bag that stays within its size and weight limit. Virgin Australia says multiple items held together with rope, tape, plastic wrap or a similar method do not count as one piece.
- Qantas says each bag must be labelled with your name, address and contact details. It also says not to pack valuables, medicines you need or important papers in checked baggage.
Sources for this section: Qantas, Checked Baggage Allowance; Virgin Australia, Checked baggage allowance.
Sources
- Qantas, Checked Baggage Allowance: archived page
- Qantas, Additional Baggage: archived page
- Qantas, Dangerous Goods: archived page
- Virgin Australia, Checked baggage allowance: archived page
- Virgin Australia, Checked baggage rules for domestic bookings made before 16 May 2012: archived page
- Virgin Australia, Dangerous goods information: archived page
- IATA, Dangerous Goods Regulations (53rd edition), Table 2.3.A: archived PDF