What is the British Airways Executive Club baggage / luggage allowance for Silver members?

In this article I want to look at what the baggage or luggage allowance is for Silver members of British Airways Executive Club.

This is the baggage rule for British Airways Silver members:

• You, and everyone travelling with you, is allowed one extra suitcase on top of the standard allowance when you travel in Economy

• There is no additional allowance in any other travel class

• Each suitcase can weigh up to 32kg (the normal allowance is 23kg)

• The only exception is if you book a Basic or ‘hand baggage only’ fare – this comes with no luggage allowance and your status does not get you any additional allowance

The same rule applies to oneworld Sapphire cardholders flying on British Airways.

If you are a Gold member of British Airways Executive Club, we wrote about your luggage allowance in this article.  

If you are a Bronze member of British Airways Executive Club, we wrote about your luggage allowance in this article.

What is the standard British Airways baggage allowance?

In order to know how much luggage you can take as a Silver British Airways cardholder, you also need to know the standard allowance.  This is what everyone is allowed:

Basic / hand baggage only ticket:

No free luggage allowance.  If you are travelling with a child up to 11 years of age, however, you can check in two items per child for free.  This could include a collapsible pushchair or stroller, a car seat or a travel cot.

Economy / World Traveller / Euro Traveller tickets:

• With a few specific exceptions (Doha, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria) an adult can check in one suitcase for free, weighing up to 23kg

• A child (up to 11 years) can check in one suitcase for free, weighing up to 23kg, plus a fully collapsible pushchair or car seat

Premium Economy / World Traveller Plus tickets:

• An adult can check in two suitcases for free, weighing up to 23kg

• A child (2 to 11 years) can check in two suitcases for free, weighing up to 23kg, plus a fully collapsible pushchair and car seat

• An infant (up to 2 years) can check in one suitcase for free, weighing up to 23kg, plus a fully collapsible pushchair and car seat

Business / Club World / Club Europe tickets:

• An adult can check in two suitcases for free, weighing up to 32kg

• A child (2 to 11 years) can check in two suitcases for free, weighing up to 32kg, plus a fully collapsible pushchair and car seat

• An infant (up to 2 years) can check in one suitcase for free, weighing up to 32kg, plus a fully collapsible pushchair and car seat

First Class tickets:

• An adult can check in three suitcases for free, weighing up to 32kg

• A child (2 to 11 years) can check in three suitcases for free, weighing up to 32kg, plus a fully collapsible pushchair and car seat

• An infant (up to 2 years) can check in one suitcase for free, weighing up to 32kg, plus a fully collapsible pushchair and car seat

If your baggage weighs more than the limits above then you will need to pay a heavy bag charge. This is currently £65 per bag, per one way flight.

What happens if I am changing planes?

This a bit more complicated than it needs to be.

• If you are travelling in a different class on the outbound and return, you get the allowance of the class you are travelling in.  If you fly out in First Class but come back in Business Class, you do NOT get the First Class allowance on your return.

• If you are flying in mixed classes on the same journey (eg Euro Traveller from Manchester to London, connecting to Club World from Manchester to Los Angeles), you get the ‘most significant sector’ allowance.  This allows you to ignore the usual rules on the Manchester to London flight.

• If you have a stopover en route and change classes (eg you fly Manchester to London, stop in London for two days and then continue in Club World to Los Angeles) you do NOT get the ‘most significant sector’ allowance.  You only get the allowance of the cabin in which you are sitting.

Full details can be found on the luggage page of ba.com which is here.  You can also find the current charges for additional or overweight baggage on that page.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works.  You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

(Head for Points is the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website with 2.6 million monthly page views.  Want to learn more about earning and spending Avios?  Click here to read our latest news stories and click here to join the mailing list for our weekly or daily email newsletters.)

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You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

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There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

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