Baggage Questions Answered: What Airlines Don't Explain Clearly

Gate 14, Stansted, 06:20. A woman's carry-on won't fit in the metal frame. The agent is polite but unmoved. She pays £45 on the spot to gate-check it, which is more than she paid for the flight.

The rules were always there. They just weren't explained.

How hand luggage dimensions actually work

The standard allowance on most full-service carriers: 55 × 40 × 20 cm. Ryanair and Wizz Air use stricter limits for the under-seat bag — 40 × 20 × 25 cm — if you haven't paid for priority boarding. The number that catches people: dimensions include wheels, handles, and outer pockets. The bag fully packed needs to fit, not just the empty shell.

Metal size-check frames appear at gates on busy routes. A bag that jams gets gate-checked, sometimes at the equivalent of a full checked-bag fee, collected before you board.

If you travel frequently on low-cost carriers and haven't measured your cabin bag recently — measure it.

Overweight checked bag at the desk

Three options, roughly in order of how much they cost: move items into hand luggage if you have allowance left; pay the overweight fee; post things home from the airport if the numbers work.

The fees vary dramatically. Some carriers charge €10–50 per kilogram over the limit. Others use flat fees. Finding this out for the first time at the check-in desk, with a queue behind you, is the worst possible moment.

Look it up before you pack. Airlines publish overweight charges on their websites. A soft bag folded inside your checked luggage gives you somewhere to put the overflow if the scales are unkind.

Sporting equipment

Bicycles, surfboards, skis, golf clubs, diving kit — these fall into a separate category with separate fees and packaging requirements. They don't count as standard checked luggage even if the weight is within your allowance. Some airlines charge per item, some by weight, some a flat rate regardless.

Booking in advance is almost always cheaper than declaring at check-in. Some carriers won't accept certain items on certain routes at all.

Anything unusual — a cello, a wheelchair, an oversized instrument — call the airline directly. The website FAQ doesn't cover edge cases reliably, and finding out at the airport that your item isn't accepted is a bad situation.

Bag didn't arrive

Before leaving the baggage hall: file a Property Irregularity Report with the handling agent. The desk is usually near the carousel. Don't leave the airport without this document — it's your formal record for any claim. Get a reference number and follow-up contact.

Most delayed bags come in on a later flight the same day or the next morning. Under EU regulation EC 261/2004 and Montreal Convention rules, the airline is obliged to reimburse reasonable essential purchases if the delay passes a certain threshold. Keep receipts for anything you buy.

If the bag is confirmed lost rather than delayed, start the claims process through the PIR immediately. There are deadlines, and carriers will reference what you declared at the PIR stage.

Shipping bags separately

Worth considering for long trips or heavy luggage. Services like SendMyBag and Luggage Forward collect from home and deliver to your hotel or rental. Costs vary by destination and weight but often come close to what airlines charge for heavy checked items — with the practical upside of not managing large cases through airports at all.

Lead time: 24–72 hours minimum for most destinations. Not useful if you're packing the night before.

Luggage in a transfer vehicle

Professional transfer drivers load and unload at both ends — that's part of the service. The issue is vehicle suitability. A family of four with two large suitcases, two carry-ons, and a pram doesn't fit in a standard saloon, regardless of what the driver is willing to attempt.

Specify what you're bringing when you book. GetTransfer has a notes field during booking for exactly this — describe the luggage, the operator confirms the vehicle before you arrive.

What can't go in checked luggage

Lithium batteries above a certain watt-hour rating must travel as hand luggage — most standard power banks are fine, but check the rating. Loose lithium-ion batteries of any kind: hand luggage only in most countries. Flammable liquids, compressed gases, aerosols above 500ml: not checked. Firearms require a declared, locked container and advance airline notification.

Sharp items — razors, scissors — go in checked luggage, not hand luggage. This one trips people up in the opposite direction.

The liquids rule (100ml limit, transparent resealable bag) has been enforced consistently at EU and UK airports since 2006. It still catches people. Pack the toiletries bag last and make it accessible.