Get ready to travel FAQs

We're so sorry that you've lost a loved one, and we’re mindful of what you and your loved ones may be going through at this time. We understand that bereavement can affect travel plans, and we may be able to help if the death is of a member of your travelling party or an immediate family member of yours or someone in your travelling party.

Please contact us on our dedicated compassionate line and we’ll do what we can to help during this difficult time.

Telephone: 0203 684 9677 (calls charged at local rate)
Monday - Friday, UK hours: 09:00-17:00

You should also review your travel insurance policy.

If you booked through a travel agent, please contact them directly.

Our customer support team are here to help you. Please call us as soon as possible. If you booked through a travel agent, you’ll need to contact them directly.

We're so sorry that you've received difficult news, and we’re mindful of what you and your loved ones may be going through at this time. We understand that these circumstances can affect travel plans, and we should be able to offer you a full refund if the diagnosis is yours or is someone’s on your booking.

Please contact us on our dedicated compassionate line and we’ll do what we can to help during this difficult time.

Telephone: 0203 684 9677 (calls charged at local rate)
Monday - Friday, UK hours: 09:00-17:00 name

You should also review your travel insurance policy.

If you booked through a travel agent, please contact them directly.

You can check in up to 10 additional bags when you pay to increase your baggage allowance, so long as these bags contain items for personal use only. Any commercial items should be shipped via IAG Cargo.

If you are travelling on our hand baggage only (Economy Basic) fare, you are charged extra to put any bags into the hold as these fares do not include checked baggage.

The cost of each additional hold bag depends on your destination and how many more bags you want to check in over your hold allowance.

See your baggage allowance and cost of extra bags using the calculator. More bags can only be paid for and carried when space is available, and excess baggage is permitted, on your flight. In some destinations, additional local taxes may also apply for additional bags carried in excess of your ticketed allowance.

If you need to travel with extra bags, you’ll get the best price if you add them online via Manage My Booking before checking in for your flight. You can pay for up to 10 extra checked bags at our discounted online rate by card, using Avios or with a combination of both. After checking in for your flight, extra bags can only be added at the airport at the airport rate and you won’t be able to pay using Avios.

Booked through a travel agency/online travel website? The option to pay for additional bags will only be available once the booking has been finalised by the agent. Contact them directly if you cannot access Manage My Booking.

If your journey includes a flight with another airline, the number of checked bags allowed per customer may be different. Check before you fly.

British Airways will refund any pre-payment of the extra baggage charge that is cancelled online before check-in. British Airways is unable to accept any refund claim, or any changes to the pre-payment of extra baggage, once the flight has departed. Unless otherwise stated, British Airways will only make a refund to the credit card used to pre-pay the extra baggage charge. Delayed, lost or damaged extra baggage will be dealt with in accordance with the General Conditions of Carriage, clauses 15 and 16.

If your checked baggage weighs more than your allowance, you may have to pay a heavy bag charge. Check your baggage allowance in the calculator.

We charge 65 GBP / 75 EUR / 100 USD / 100 CAD per overweight bag and one-way journey. If you’re flying from a country that uses a different local currency, the GBP amount will be converted to the local currency. In some destinations, additional local taxes may also apply.

At many airports, including London Heathrow, London Gatwick and in North America, you can only pay using a credit or debit card. Cash is not accepted and Avios cannot be used for this payment. 

British Airways’ 23kg baggage weight limit applies to each bag and can’t be split between multiple bags.

No bag may weigh over 32Kg

If your journey includes a flight with another airline, their baggage allowances may be different. Please check before you fly.

British Airways, BA Cityflyer or BA Euroflyer infant baggage allowance for a baby under 24 months without a seat, regardless of cabin, includes a 23kg bag checked into the hold. No extra baggage allowance can be purchased on a ticket for an infant without a seat.

There is no checked baggage allowance for you or your infant if you are both travelling on a hand baggage only (Basic) fare, and any additional hold baggage allowance cannot be bought for your infant.

Children and infants with a seat have the same free baggage allowance as adults. Find out what other items you can check in for your family.

You cannot pool, share or combine your checked baggage allowance with another traveller, even someone in your travel party.

For security reasons, you must only check in bags that you've packed yourself. You are responsible for any bag that is linked to your name in the booking.

For any single bag that is over the maximum weight or number allowed on your ticket, you may be charged a heavy bag or extra bag charge.

The below allowances apply to British Airways, BA CityFlyer or BA Euroflyer flights only.

You, as the Club member, must be travelling on the booking for those on your booking to get these benefits.

These allowances are not available on group bookings or to infants travelling without their own seat. Infants get one 23kg checked bag, no matter their cabin of travel.

Gold British Airways Club, oneworld Emerald or AerClub Concierge members:

Your baggage allowance for you and those travelling on your booking reference in any travel cabin:

• 1 additional checked bag up to 32kg (70lb). Up to 32 kg (70lb) per checked bag
• This does not apply on a Basic fare, where there is no baggage allowance in any cabin.

Silver British Airways Club, oneworld Sapphire or AerClub Platinum members:

Your baggage allowance for you and those travelling on your booking reference in any travel cabin:

• 2 checked bags up to 32kg (70lb) in any travel cabin
• This does not apply on a Basic fare, where there is no baggage allowance in any cabin.

The maximum dimensions for an oversize bag in the hold are 190 x 75 x 65 cm.

A bag larger than the standard size, but within these maximum dimensions, is known as an oversize or out-of-gauge bag. These are usually accepted as part of your checked baggage allowance, though there are some restrictions. Baggage must be packed with appropriate protection and have a stable base so that it won’t roll in the baggage systems.

Larger fragile items, such as TV or gaming screens, are not accepted as hold baggage, even if they are within the maximum baggage dimensions. These items can be shipped as cargo.

Let us know you’re bringing an oversize item when you book your flight, or at least 48 hours before departure. You can use the online chat on our Help page (only available in English). For all other customers please contact us here. Especially if your oversize baggage item is sports equipment, as we need to know about oversize bags that include sports equipment like bike boxes, skis or golf bags.

Any oversize bag must be checked in at the out-of-gauge bag drop at least 90 minutes (one and a half hours) before your flight to ensure it has the best chance of travelling with you, as it may need individual handling.

On journeys with connecting flights that use a single booking reference, even if it includes other airline codes, your baggage allowance is generally determined by the airline that operates the longest flight in your itinerary.

You can usually check in your bags to arrive at your final destination if:

• All your flights are under a single booking reference and ticket number, or
• Your flights are with oneworld airlines under a single booking reference, even if you have separate ticket numbers.

If an airport requires you to collect your checked bags before connecting to a domestic flight in that country, simply follow these steps:

• Check in your bags for your first flight.
• Collect your bags when you land – you may need to go through customs.
• Go to Departures and check your bags in again for your domestic flight.
• Collect your bags at your final destination.

Remember to allow enough time to check your bags in again and then connect to your domestic flight gate for departure.

If you're not sure where to collect your bags, please ask when you check them in at the start of your journey. Your baggage tags will show your bag’s final destination.

Travel packages for students holding study visas, or similar official identification, may be available on some of our routes. You should search for student fares from the local ba.com website of the country where you’ll start your journey.

If no student travel offer is currently available for your journey, your ticket will still have our standard baggage allowance relevant to your route, as long as it isn’t an economy basic fare, where there’s no checked baggage allowance.

We don’t offer any extra free baggage allowance specifically for students on any other fares, but we do have discounted online rates for extra bags if you need to take more baggage on your flight. Check our extra bag charge calculator.

If you’re travelling on a specialist student fare, you must have your current official international student identification with you when you travel or you could be refused carriage.

If you’ve booked separate flights with different booking references to get to your final destination each flight is considered a separate journey. This applies even if all your flights are with British Airways, BA Cityflyer and BA Euroflyer.

You’ll need to check your bags in for each separate flight. Make sure to leave enough time between each flight to do this and get to your departure gate for the next leg of your journey. Simply follow these steps:

• Check in your bags for your first flight.
• Collect your bags when you land - you may need to go through customs.
• Go to departures and check your bags in again for your next flight.
• Collect your bags at your final destination.

Please be aware that on journeys with separate tickets and different booking references, your bags will not be transferred on to your next flight as it is considered a separate journey.

In case of delay, cancellation or other disruption to your initial flight, when you hold a separate booking on a different reference for your next flight, airlines are limited in the assistance they can give you for your onward journey/subsequent flight, just as they have no obligation to automatically check your baggage through to your next flight as each booking is considered a separate contract.

Baggage allowance varies depending on the airline you're flying with and where you're travelling to.  

If a journey with connecting flights includes ‘BA’ and other airline codes, your baggage allowance is generally determined by the airline that operates the longest flight in your itinerary.

Please contact us for more information. 

If you need to take regular medication, it’s important to pack enough essential medication for your personal use on board - and for the first few days of your journey - into your smaller under-seat item of hand baggage. This is in case your hold baggage is delayed for any reason.

Avoid packing medication in your larger cabin bag as you may be asked to put it into the hold on busy flights. Additional medication for personal use at your destination can also be packed in your checked baggage, so long as you are carrying enough for a few days in your hand baggage in case of any eventuality.

We recommend you carry a copy of the prescription for your medication to avoid delays at security or customs.

We're so sorry that you've lost a loved one and are now taking them on a journey to their final resting place.

You can take cremated remains (ashes) onto our flights in either your hand baggage or checked baggage as part of your allowance. You don't need to let us know in advance, we just ask that, in order to comply with regulations, you carry with you a Certificate of Death and Certificate of Cremation or other country-specific equivalent. Please be aware that this document must have been issued by a competent/official authority from your country of departure.

We ask you to place the remains in a tightly-sealed and sturdy outer box or case. If you're carrying them in your hand baggage, we need to advise you that full security procedures will still have to be followed in the airport and the sealed box or urn must be X-rayed by the airport security team. Because of this, it's very important to know that if your urn or container is made of a material that prevents the X-ray screener from clearly being able to see what’s inside, then the container won't be allowed through with you. It's policy at airport security locations to not open any urns and look inside, out of respect for the person who has passed.

Our IAG Cargo team can also help with travel arrangements for human remains, including flying your loved one(s) home in a coffin. The coffin doesn't need to be accompanied by a family member or friend on the same flight. More information on this is available here.

Contact IAG Cargo if you have any further questions.

We're so sorry that you've lost a beloved pet and are now taking them on a journey to their final resting place.

If you're travelling with your pet's cremated remains, you’ll need to travel with a Certificate of Cremation.

We ask you to place the remains in a tightly-sealed and sturdy outer box or case. If you're carrying them in your hand baggage, we need to advise you that full security procedures will still have to be followed in the airport and the sealed box or urn must be X-rayed by the airport security team. Because of this, it's very important to know that if your urn or container is made of a material that prevents the X-ray screener from clearly being able to see what’s inside, then the container won't be allowed through with you. It's policy at airport security locations to not open any urns and look inside.

As our aircraft have less cabin space than the Star Wars™ Millennium Falcon, lightsabers from Savi’s Workshop need to be carried in your checked baggage.

Lightsabers are too long to be carried as part of your hand baggage as the maximum permitted length of items in the cabin is 56cm (22”).

You must dismantle your lightsaber for travel. The longest part should fit diagonally into a standard suitcase as it's around 79cm (31”) long.

If you arrive with a lightsaber in its soft carry case at the airport bag drop or the gate, it may be checked into the hold, and you could be charged for an extra bag.

You can also pack your lightsaber into a long rigid cardboard postal tube and check it in as hold baggage. There may be an extra charge if it takes you over your free baggage allowance.

Unwrapped presents or gifts can be carried in the cabin if they fit into a bag that’s included in your baggage allowance. They must also meet the rules on travelling with liquids. 

Items carried in the cabin need to be unwrapped for security checks. Electrical items must be in unsealed packaging and charged so they can be switched on if required, especially when travelling to or from the USA. Find out more about security checks for electronic devices.

If you pack wrapped gifts in your checked baggage, the baggage security team at the airport may unwrap your gifts if they need to investigate the contents of your bag.

You can add Advance Passenger Information to your booking on ba.com using Manage My Booking. If there is any information you need to provide, you'll see a red exclamation mark against the passenger information section at the top of the page.

Many countries require us to collect some passport and travel information about who's flying into their country. The information you provide is sent securely to the necessary government authorities.

You will need to supply some or all of the following details:

• your full name (as it appears on your passport)
• your date of birth
• your gender
• your nationality
• your passport number
• your passport expiry date
• the country that issued your passport
• your country of residence.

Additionally, when travelling to the US, you will need to provide:

• the destination address of your first night’s stay
• Alien Registration Number (Green Card) for those who have US residency
• Traveler Redress Number if you have one (this enables travellers who have experienced problems entering the US to avoid future difficulties).

If you're a US citizen and have a 'Global Entry' number, you don't need to provide this as part of your API. When you arrive in the US your Global Entry status will be recognised when you use the dedicated Immigration kiosk.

Some governments require us to provide them with information from flight bookings, which will contain additional passenger details to those listed above.

Find out what information is required when visiting the USA. More information is available on the U.S Customs and Border Protection website.

Applications aren’t instantly approved, so we recommend you apply for your ESTA as soon as possible. If you apply under 72 hours before you’re due to travel, you may not get approved in time.

You don't need to enter any additional details on ba.com when entering your Advance Passenger Information (API) to show that you have an ESTA. This will happen automatically when you add your details.

You can find information on what’s required for API on the USA’s Customs and Border Protection website.

If you’re flying into the USA to join a cruise, or you’re hiring a car during your stay, we recommend travelling with documents that show these reservations.