Fares & pricing Travel technology glossary

Baggage allowanceFree checked baggage allowance

Also called free baggage allowanceFBAchecked baggage allowancepiece conceptweight conceptbag allowance

Definition

A baggage allowance is the amount of checked and cabin baggage a passenger may carry without extra charge under the fare they bought. Airlines express it either as a number of pieces with a weight limit per piece, or as a total weight, and on multi-airline journeys industry rules decide which carrier's allowance applies.

What Baggage allowance means

There are two ways to express a checked allowance. The piece concept counts bags, each with its own weight and size limit, for example two bags of up to 23 kg each. The weight concept sets a total weight, for example 30 kg, whatever the number of bags. Emirates, for instance, applies the weight concept on most routes and the piece concept on flights to and from the Americas and on certain Africa routes.

Allowances now depend on the fare as much as the cabin. With branded fares, a basic economy brand may include no checked bag, while a flexible brand includes one or two. Anything above the free allowance is sold as a paid extra, one of the most common ancillaries, and is often documented on an EMD.

When a journey involves more than one airline, the carriers may have different rules. IATA Resolution 302 sets how the applicable rules are chosen for interline journeys. If the airlines' rules differ, the rules of the most significant carrier (MSC) apply. Between IATA areas, that is generally the carrier operating the first sector crossing from one area to another; within a sub-area, the carrier on the first international sector. For codeshare flights, ANA's summary of the resolution says the marketing carrier is treated as the MSC unless it files otherwise.

Journeys to or from the United States and Canada follow separate government rules. Delta's agent guidance explains that for US travel the marketing carrier of the first international segment is the MSC and its rules apply to the whole journey.

How Baggage allowance works

The allowance a passenger receives is worked out from the airline's filed baggage data when the booking is priced.

  1. Airline files baggage dataAirlines file free allowances and bag charges with ATPCO as optional service records, linked to fares, cabins, booking classes and routes.
  2. Journey split into baggage tripsPricing divides the itinerary into checked portions, usually from origin to the first stopover and onwards from each stopover.
  3. Applicable carrier chosenFor each portion the system applies Resolution 302, or US and Canadian rules where relevant, to find whose allowance applies.
  4. Allowance returnedThe GDS or airline API returns the allowance, for example 1PC or 30K, together with charges for extra bags where filed.
  5. Shown on the ticketThe allowance prints in the baggage field of each e-ticket coupon and on the itinerary receipt sent to the traveller.

Baggage allowance in practice

Codes in GDS pricing (verified). Travelport shows piece allowances as 1PC or 2PC and weight allowances as the weight followed by K for kilograms or L for pounds, such as 23K. If an airline files both a piece and a weight value, the weight value prints on the ticket. When no baggage record matches, pricing returns a message telling the agent to contact the carrier because charges may apply.

Airline policy (verified, as of November 2026). Emirates lists a 20 kg allowance for its Economy Special fare on weight-concept routes, but one piece of up to 23 kg on piece-concept routes such as the Americas.

Illustrative interline case. A passenger flies a regional airline from a European city to Istanbul, then a second airline to Bangkok. The first sector crossing from IATA Area 2 to Area 3 is the second airline's flight, so its rules generally apply as MSC.

Who uses it

Travel agenciesAgents compare allowances between fares and brands, explain them to travellers and sell extra bags when the free allowance is not enough.
AirlinesCarriers use allowances to differentiate fare brands and to generate ancillary revenue from paid baggage.
Booking platform developersEngineers map piece and weight values from GDS and NDC responses into a clear, consistent display for each passenger and sector.
Corporate travel managersBuyers include baggage in travel policy and total trip cost, since the cheapest fare may exclude checked bags.

Advantages and limitations

Advantages

  • Filed baggage data lets agents see the allowance at the time of shopping instead of after travel.
  • Resolution 302 gives a predictable way to decide whose rules apply on interline trips.
  • Fare-linked allowances let travellers choose and pay only for the baggage they need.

Limitations

  • Piece and weight systems on the same trip can confuse travellers and lead to excess charges at the airport.
  • MSC rules and US and Canadian exceptions are complex, so the allowance can differ from what the traveller expects.
  • Some carriers, particularly low-cost airlines, may not file baggage data in every channel, leaving agents to check the airline directly.

Frequently asked questions about Baggage allowance

What is the difference between piece concept and weight concept?

Under the piece concept the allowance is a number of bags, each with a maximum weight and size, such as two bags of 23 kg. Under the weight concept it is a total weight, such as 30 kg, spread across any number of bags within the airline's per-bag limits.

Which airline's baggage rules apply on a connecting ticket?

On an interline ticket, IATA Resolution 302 applies the rules of the most significant carrier when the airlines differ, typically the carrier flying the first sector that crosses an IATA area boundary. Journeys to or from the US or Canada follow separate government rules based on the marketing carrier.

What does 1PC or 30K mean on a ticket?

These are baggage allowance codes. 1PC means one free checked piece, and 2PC two pieces. 30K means a total of 30 kilograms; an L instead of K would mean pounds. The code appears on each coupon of the e-ticket and in the GDS pricing record.

How do NDC offers show baggage allowance?

NDC messages return baggage as structured data instead of a short code, including the number of pieces, maximum weight per piece and any price for extra bags, linked to passengers and flights. This lets agencies display baggage alongside each offer and add bags as paid services.

Is cabin baggage part of the baggage allowance?

Yes, airlines set a separate cabin allowance, usually a number of items with size and weight limits. Many low-cost and basic fares now include only a small personal item, with a larger cabin bag sold as an extra, so agents should check both parts.

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Sources and further reading

  1. ANA — IATA Baggage Resolution 302 related to baggage provision
  2. Travelport — Baggage (allowance codes, Resolution 302, DOT/CTA)
  3. Delta Professional — Update to IATA baggage allowance and charge rules
  4. Air New Zealand — Most significant carrier
  5. Emirates — Checked baggage
  6. IBS NDC developer portal — BaggageAllowanceRS (NDC 17.2)