Checked Baggage

Checked Baggage Information

• Checked Baggage policy for tickets purchased on or after 5 September 2012
• Checked Baggage policy for tickets purchased before 5 September 2012
• Government Reservations
• Person with Reduced Mobility
• Combined First, Business or Economy Class Travel
• Interlining

Checked Baggage policy for tickets purchased on or after 5 September 2012

Free Baggage Allowance 

Free Baggage Allowance - Checked Baggage

• Children and Infants paying at least 50% of the adult fare are entitled to the same baggage allowance as adults. 
• Infants not entitled to a seat shall only be permitted to 1 piece of luggage at 10kg and/or collapsible buggy or car seat  

Voyager Piece Concept Allowance

Free Carry on Items:

The standard allowance per class is –

             First and business class – 2 pieces + 1 laptop bag 
             Economy class – 1 piece + 1 laptop bag
 

• In additions to the checked baggage allowance, each passenger may carry without additional charges hand baggage suitable for placement in the closed overhead rack or under the passenger’s seat with maximum dimensions specified by the carrier subject to space availability
   
•  Maximum weight 8kg (18lb), e.g. brief case, boardcase, travel bag, attaché case. The size of one carry on item shall not exceed the overall dimensions of 115cm (45inches)
   
•  Laptop bag – maximum weight 8kg.
   

• Free Checked Baggage Allowance - Weight Concept
  • applies worldwide except for flight routings where the Piece Concept (PC) applies.
• Free Checked Baggage Allowance - Piece Concept
  • applies for flight routings:
    • to/from USA/US Territories,  to/from Canada (Government Reservation : Order 95-2-7)
    • between Africa and the USA / Canada
    • Star Alliance Round the World Fares
    • between South Africa and Brazil - (Government Reservation : 23.6.98)
    • between Brazil and Hong Kong SAR/Thailand via Johannesburg - (Government Reservation : 23.6.98)
    • between Sao Paulo / Buenos Aires and Mumbai - (South African Airways operated flights only)
    • between Sao Paulo / Buenos Aires and Perth - (South African Airways operated flights only)
    • between Sao Paulo / Buenos Aires and Africa (South African Airways operated flights only)
    • between Buenos Aires and Hong Kong (South African Airways operated flights only)
    • between Dakar and South Africa (South African Airways operated flights only)

Maximum Baggage Weight per Piece for the Passenger (Weight and Piece Concept) is 32kg.

Please note, that more than 32kg (70lb) per piece is not accepted as baggage.  If exceeding 32kg (70lb), the piece of baggage must be checked as air cargo at specified cargo rates. 

The following dimensions as a guideline – (this is what ACSA dictates to fit down the conveyor belt.)

The sizes do not include items that form part of sporting equipment / fragile items.

• Children and Infants paying at least 50% of the adult fare are entitled to the same allowance as adults.
• Infants not entitled to a seat shall only be permitted 10 kg (22lb) and one collapsible buggy.

Maximum Baggage Weight per Piece for the Passenger (Weight and Piece Concept): Please note, that more than 32kg (70lb) per piece is not accepted as excess baggage. If exceeding 32kg (70lb) where required, the piece of baggage must be checked as air cargo at specified cargo rates. Total excess baggage of more than 100 kg (218lb) per passenger and per flight must be requested at time of creating the reservation and or prior to departure (approx. 24 hrs).
 

Exceptions:
 

• Star Alliance gold customers on Star-operated flights: additional 20kg (44lb)
• South African Airways Voyager card holders on SA operated flights:
  
  • Platinum & Platinum elect: additional 30kg (66lb)
  • Gold & Gold elect: additional 20kg (44lb)
  • Silver & Silver elect: additional 10kg (22lb)
  • Blue: No additional

Exceptions on SA flights to/from Australia (including the SA Airways - SYD code-share flight)
Between South Africa and Australia.

Applicable on SA flights ONLY and all flight series SA1000;7000;8000 are excluded:

Between South Africa and destinations in Africa (SA ONLY)

• Bonafide Students traveling on Student tickets (SD Fares) : Baggage Allowance - 40kg

Between Africa and South Africa / between Africa and Mumbai (BOM)/ Hong Kong via Johannesburg – except for travel originating **Lagos to Hong Kong / between Africa to other Africa points via Johannesburg and *** Lagos - Between South Africa and Lagos via Johannesburg.

**Denotes:
**Lagos - Journey originating Lagos for travel Lagos to Johannesburg OR Lagos to Hong Kong via Johannesburg only

***Denotes:
*** Lagos between South Africa and Lagos via Johannesburg

Between Dubai and South Africa and between South Africa and Jeddah(applicable on SA Code-share Flights)

Between South Africa and Mumbai and between South Africa and Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad (applicable on SA code-share flights)

Between Dakar and Mumbai and between Dakar and Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad (applicable on SA code-share flights)

AI Code-share flights numbers between Mumbai Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town ( valid on SA operated flights)

Blantyre & Lilongwe – journeys originating in Blantyre & Lilongwe for travel to London via Johannesburg

Bujumbura & Kigali – journeys to and from Bujumbura & Kigali for travel via Johannesburg within South Africa

Back to top

Free Checked Baggage Allowance - Piece Concept

First & Business Class:

2 pieces with 32 kg (70lb) each and maximum dimensions of 158 cm (62 inches).

Economy Class:

2 pieces with 23 kg (50lb) each and maximum dimensions of 158 cm (62 inches) each;

Maximum Baggage Weight per Piece for the Passenger (Weight and Piece Concept): Please note, that more than 32kg (70lb) per piece is not accepted as excess baggage. If exceeding 32kg (70lb) where required, the piece of baggage must be checked as air cargo at specified cargo rates. Total excess baggage of more than 100 kg (218lb) per passenger and per flight must be requested at time of creating the reservation and or prior to departure (approx. 24 hrs)

Exception:

Journeys to/from South America (where piece concept is applicable as specified above) the weight per piece in economy class equals 32 kg (70lb) each and maximum dimensions of 158 cm (62inches).

• Children and Infants paying at least 50% of the adult fare are entitled to the same allowance as adults
• Infants not entitled to a seat shall only be permitted 1 checked piece (maximum dimensions of 115cm) and up to 10 kg (22lb) and one collapsible buggy

Note :  Journeys to/from South America (where piece concept is applicable as specified above) to Sydney (Australia) via Johannesburg: 

•  2 pieces of 23kgs each for economy class passengers.
•  2 pieces of 32kgs each for business class passengers

NOTE:EXCESS WEIGHT CHARGES FOR FREE PIECE CONCEPT ALLOWANCE:

• In case of excess weight per piece up to a total of 32kg (70lb), a flat rate of EUR/USD 100 will be charged;
• Baggage heavier than 32kg must be shipped as cargo

Exceptions:

SA Airways Platinum and Gold Members and Star Alliance Gold Members on SA operated flights plus any Star Alliance operated flights: 1 extra piece based on the allowance for the respective class, as part of the free allowance.

Back to top

Government Reservations

UNITED STATES (Order 95-2-7 )

Approval is subject to the conditions regularly imposed on this type of baggage system. These conditions preclude the application of weight-related baggage systems to any passengers whose ultimate ticketed origin or destination is a point in the United States. For these passengers, only piece-related bag-gage system shall apply, including any travel beyond the U.S.-foreign gateway legs of the journeys

BRAZIL

1. weight system will not apply from Brazil to the Republic of South Africa and from Brazil to Thailand/Hong Kong SAR via SA routing (23.6.98)
2. the excess baggage charge per kg is 1% of the lowest normal direct adult one way economy class fare (23.6.98)

For transportation originating or terminating in the USA/US Territories, Canada where piece concept applies, piece concept regulations apply for the entire journey, irrespective if a stopover is taken or not.

To qualify for PC when a journey includes countries that the weight concept is the actually baggage allowace, the ticket must be issued all on one ticket (one contract).

Example: if a passenger purchased a NYC LON NYC - PC would apply for this applicable ticket and the new ticket (contract) LON Johannesburg LON - the applicable weight concept would apply.

For transportation originating or terminating in countries other than USA/US Territories, Canada where the piece concept is Government approved, and SA has implemented exception between these countries the piece concept regulations apply for the entire journey, irrespective if a stopover is taken or not as long as the applicable through fare has been collected.

Example: NYC-FRA-Johannesburg-FRA-NYC for all sectors PC applies. If a passenger with PC allowance checks-in baggage after a stopover is made for a route where weight concept applies, the free baggage allowance will remain PC, but the charge for excess baggage must be paid according to weight concept rates.

Example: Stopover in Johannesburg and FRA; check-in of 2 pc with 30kg each. The permitted baggage allowance is 2x23kg (2x50lb) => the difference 14kg have to be charged at 1,5% per kg of the Highest SA Airways normal direct one way economy class fare fare Johannesburg-FRA.

Back to top

Person with Reduced Mobility

Persons with reduced mobility may carry free of charge one wheelchair and/or other assertive devices they are dependent on.

Exception: On flights to and from European Union destinations, (London and Frankfurt) one further mobility device may be carrier free of charge, ( two in total), over and above the free baggage allowance. (To satisfy requirement under EU regulation 1107/2006)

Back to top

Combined First, Business or Economy Class Travel

For through journeys where the passenger travels partly on First Class and partly on Business or Economy Class service the free baggage allowance on each portion of travel shall be that applicable to the class of service for which the fare is paid.

Back to top

Interlining

In case of SA unilateral application of PC in opposition to IATA regulations, PC-charges apply only on SA -sectors; for interlining on ongoing other airline sectors please check the free allowance shown on the respective sector ticket coupons. In case of through-check-in and excess, the applicable excess baggage charges have to be charged also if only required for parts of the journey. If excess baggage applies on a routing where no published excess baggage charge is available, the applicable charge applies in the direction of travel for SA sectors and for other airline sectors according to the transporting carrier's rules and charges

Back to top