International Baggage Allowance: Carry-On and Checked

The 2 systems behind every baggage rule

International baggage rules run on 2 systems: the piece concept and the weight concept. The piece concept sets a fixed count of bags at a set weight each, and it is the standard on US long-haul routes, where 23 kg is the common checked unit. The weight concept sets one total kilogram allowance across all bags. Every carrier on this page sells US routes under the piece concept, and the exact bag count on your trip comes from the fare family printed on the ticket.

Carry-on by carrier group

Carry-on allowances split into 2 groups on this page: East Asian carriers and European carriers. All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, EVA Air, and Asiana Airlines allow 7–10 kg, so a 22-pound rollaboard sits at the upper limit. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic allow more — commonly 10–23 kg depending on fare — while Iberia ties the allowance to the fare family on the ticket. The agent reads the exact carry-on weight for your routing during the booking call.

Checked bags: Europe versus transpacific

Transatlantic and transpacific economy tickets carry different default bag counts. Most long-haul economy fares to Europe include 1 bag of 23 kg, and basic or 'light' fares on European carriers include none. Several transpacific economy fares include 2 bags of 23 kg each. Because the bag count sits in the fare family, 2 tickets at similar prices carry different allowances — the agent quotes baggage alongside the fare so the comparison stays honest.

Confirm your allowance before you pack

The tables above describe patterns, not your ticket — your allowance lives in the fare rules attached to your booking reference. One call reads the exact weight, size, and bag count for every segment, including codeshares and mixed cabins, before a dollar changes. Booking help for these routes sits on our international flight booking by phone page.

Basic economy versus main cabin on long-haul routes

Fare family decides baggage: a basic or light long-haul fare often cuts the checked bag to zero, while standard economy keeps the 1–2 bag allowance. The pattern holds across the 8 carriers on this page. British Airways sells its World Traveller economy in tiered families, and Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, EVA Air, Korean Air, and Asiana price their economy cabins in light-versus-standard steps. Two tickets at similar prices carry different bag counts, so the printed fare family on the ticket is the only number that counts.