South Africa Airlines baggage allowance information - all in one place

Airport departure zones and checking in procedures are notoriously chaotic and stressful, and this is made more so when passengers arrive with too much luggage or bags that are too heavy. Much of this confusion is caused by the different weight restrictions for luggage across airlines. 

Luckily for those travelling domestically, Cheapflights.co.za has pulled together a handy cheat sheet of domestic airlines operating in South Africa and their restrictions on the checked luggage and hand luggage allowance.

Andrew Shelton, Managing Director of Cheapflights.co.za, says: “Many people assume the policy doesn’t differ from one airline to the next and tend to over-pack. To avoid hefty charges at the airport, rather pay for extra luggage online before, to avoid an unpleasant surprise at the airport”.

FlySafair

The checked luggage allowance is 20kg, charged at R150 per bag booked online and R250 per bag checked in at the airport; while a hand luggage allowance of 7kg is free.

Mango

The checked luggage allowance is 20kg and anything above and beyond this is charged for at a rate payable at the airport; while 7kg of hand luggage is allowed on board. Excess baggage is charged at R35 per kg booked online and R45 per kg if checked in at the airport.

South African Airways

The checked luggage allowance is 23kg and any piece of luggage exceeding this must be checked in as Cargo at specific rates. Hand luggage allowance is slightly more generous than the other airlines, allowing 8kg.

British Airways

The checked luggage allowance is 23kg and hand luggage allowance is 7kg. Any extra luggage will set travellers back by R290 online and R385 at the airport.

Kulula

The checked luggage allowance is 20kg and extra bags can be purchased online at 25% off if purchased 24 hours before departure. Hand luggage allowance is 7kg as per many other domestic airlines. For those in need of travelling with extra bags, charges will cost R290 online or R385 at the airport.

APPENDIX

Airline	Hand luggage allowance	Checked luggage allowance	Extra bag
FlySafair	7 kg	20 kg	R150 / R250
Mango	7 kg	20 kg	R35 / R45 kg
SAA	8 kg	23 kg	R250
British Airways	7 kg	23 kg	R290 / R385
Kulula	7 kg	20 kg	R290 / R385