Charges for luggage on foreign flights?

[ondeckatsea]

The last two times we flew to Europe (Heathrow and Barcelona) we weren't charged for luggage. With the new charges for everything on flights here in the USA will we have charges for international flights? The first time we flew Virgin Air and the last time, 2 years ago, it was USAir.

[kenish]

Your question has so few details it's impossible to answer. A good starting point is looking at each airline's website. The various fees are posted and you can determine which apply to your travel habits. If you plan to fly within Europe, airlines tend to be much more stringent about enforcing size and weight limits since it's an important revenue source. Airlines in the US are very lax by comparison. If you fly to or from Europe on one ticket, international rules will apply to the domestic legs to the gateway (although it can sometimes get confusing if different airlines are involved on the domestic and international segment).

[Hoyaheel]

Luggage allowances typically differ by fare class & any elite membership you might have on that airline as well. Each airline website will have all this information spelled out:D

[1965]

I think I'm correct that you are allowed one piece of checked luggage per passenger without extra charge when flying internationally. You are charged for all subsequent checked pieces. And you are allowed one carryon and one personal item like a purse, laptop, etc. This seems to be the policy for all airlines flying from U.S. to foreign countries. Is this what you are asking? We flew from Dallas to Tel Aviv in November, and that was the policy. I'm sure you are familiar with size and weight limit rules which may vary from airline to airline.

[Hoyaheel]

I think I'm correct that you are allowed one piece of checked luggage per passenger without extra charge when flying internationally. .

 

That still depends on the airline being flown and where, and the ticket class ;) I flew RDU-JRO on Delta & KLM and was allowed two checked bags for no added fee. I flew RDU to AMS on Delta and was allowed one bag without a fee. Both those trips were economy, without frequent flyer status. So you just need to check your airline, your destination, and your fare class.

[FlyerTalker]

I think I'm correct that you are allowed one piece of checked luggage per passenger without extra charge when flying internationally. You are charged for all subsequent checked pieces. And you are allowed one carryon and one personal item like a purse, laptop, etc.

NO, NO, NO and....NO.

This seems to be the policy for all airlines flying from U.S. to foreign countries. Is this what you are asking? We flew from Dallas to Tel Aviv in November, and that was the policy. I'm sure you are familiar with size and weight limit rules which may vary from airline to airline.

It is not the policy of all airlines. It may have been your specific case on your carrier, on your route, on your date of travel.

 

The one blanket statement that can be accurately made is: Check your specific carrier for its own policies before your flight. Actually, there's also a second one: Assume nothing. Check and verify.

[PennyAgain]

As usual FlyerTalker is absolutely correct.

 

The one major sticking point when flying outside the USA is carry on baggage. It often varies from airline to airline and also from airport to airport.

 

I use a carry on bag without wheels and am always prepared to put my so-called personal item and hand bag (purse) into that carry on bag.

 

American sized roll aboard suitcases (with wheels) are often not allowed on foreign carriers and also may be subject to weight restrictions.

 

Even if you feel that you have looked up your airline's rules, be prepared to downsize carry on luggage and reduce weight where possible.

 

It isn't fun, but it is the way we have to live these days.

[parody]

The most extensive site that I know that can answer your question can be found by clicking here.

[UKBayern]

The most extensive site that I know that can answer your question can be found by clicking here.

 

I just looked at the site, and saw some errors for some airlines already. Of course we don't know how old the information is. I would always double check with the airline itself.

[Keith1010]

The most extensive site that I know that can answer your question can be found by clicking here.

 

I really think the best site to use is the respective airline site rather than a third party site and if that doesn't answer the question then the next best thing is to call the airline.

 

Keith

[FlyerTalker]

All "compilation-type" sites are obsolete as soon as they go up. Keeping the info current is just too big a job, IMO. Ditto Keith and UK on going straight to the airline site for definitive info before your flight.

 

OTOH, if the objective is to use baggage allowance as one criterion in the purchase decision process (a good idea), then the posted link would be a good FIRST step, with the specific airline sites as the confirming SECOND step.

[parody]

To include baggage fees in selecting flights, use tripadvisor.com and select the "Fees Estimator" tab. It is not perfect as baggage fees are quite complicated over all the different options available. The Orbitz site includes extremely detailed information on the baggage policies of 199 airlines. It may become dated over time. However, if one only needs this information for 1 or 2 airlines, head to their website. As an alternative to a wide open question, it is a place to start.