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For economy class, you can have two pieces of checked luggage, each weighing 23kg. Instead, can you have one piece of checked luggage that weighs around 30kg, or would it not comply with Etihad's new baggage policy?

Some comparison sites don't indicate how much baggage weight is allowed; they just state two pieces.

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  • @pnuts.... I wanted to know if one bag didn't weigh 23kg and just 32kg would that be ok....so why say why ask
    – Iram Ahmed
    Sep 29, 2016 at 23:26
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    @IramAhmed -- the issue is not the ability of the airplane to carry the weight, it's the ability of the baggage handlers. They are live human beings and there is a limit to their total ability to lift.
    – Michael Lorton
    Sep 29, 2016 at 23:29
  • @malvolio other airlines such as qatar airways allow 30kg
    – Iram Ahmed
    Sep 29, 2016 at 23:32
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    @IramAhmed -- they might: they have stronger baggage handlers (or, more likely, a weaker baggage-handlers union). Let me assure you, each airline will enforce its own rules, no matter how reasonable you think your alternative is.
    – Michael Lorton
    Sep 29, 2016 at 23:34
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    @IramAhmed usually bags are limited either to 23kg or 32kg each. If the limit is 23kg then each bag must be less than 23 kg to comply. Typically, 32-kg bags are included in the baggage allowance only for business and first-class travelers. I was going to say "permitted" rather than "included in the baggage allowance," but thought better of it because you generally can take a 32-kg bag as an economy traveler, if you are willing to pay the excess weight charge.
    – phoog
    Sep 29, 2016 at 23:35

3 Answers 3

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You can have up to two bags, and each bag can be up to 23 kg. A single 30 kg bag is heavier than 23 kg, so it does not comply with the policy.

Possible solutions:

  • Buy another bag and split the contents between the two
  • Remove at least 7 kg from the single bag and leave the removed items behind
  • Check in the 30 kg bag, most likely paying excess weight charges in the process
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  • I know that 32kg is heavier than 23kg. But because 23 x 2 is 46, so I was thinking if in total it had to be under 46kg
    – Iram Ahmed
    Sep 29, 2016 at 23:31
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    @IramAhmed No, if the requirement were for the total weight to be under 46 kilos, they would say that like that. Now they might be lax about enforcing it, so you might not have to pay if you brought a single 30 kg bag, but strictly speaking it doesn't comply with the policy, and if you did get away without paying, you could count yourself lucky.
    – phoog
    Sep 29, 2016 at 23:34
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It matters because the conveyer belt systems used at some airports have limits on the individual baggage weight; which is why it is enforced on an item level, and is stated plainly so at Etihad's website:

Maximum weight and dimensions - To / from Brazil, Canada and the US: 158cm (50x70x38) - To / from all other destinations: 207cm (45x72x90)

Each item must not exceed 32kg. This applies to all baggage including pre-purchased excess baggage. Baggage that exceeds the limits and dimensions shall only be processed through Etihad Cargo.

So we established the maximum each individual item can weigh is 32 KG no matter what class you are traveling on.

Now we have to see what is the included allowance - what you are allowed to carry for free on each class. So for economy this is 2 bags, each of which has a free allowance of 23 KG.

Note that on some routes, only a total is given; and not by piece. This means you can check any number of bags, as long as each individual bag is not more than 32 KG. If you exceed the allowance for your class, you'll have to pay extra.

If your itinerary is restricted on both item and weight; and you wanted to check one bag that exceed 23 KG in economy, you have a few choices:

  • If the weight is more than 23, but less than 32 of your individual bag, then just pay the excess weight fee.

  • If the weight of the bag is more than 32 KG, and you have already checked in one bag - then you'll have to pay to check in an extra piece of luggage. Once you fill in the additional luggage, and its weight is more than 23 KG (your free allowance), you'll have to pay an additional fee to bump the allowed weight to the maximum of 32 KG.

Repeat the above, till your luggage is split into either 23 KG pieces, or 32 KG pieces.

On routes that don't define a piece limit but instead list the total weight - you will only pay for the excess weight.

How much you'll pay, depends on the routes - and is available online at the excess baggage fee website.

If you feel you'll be needing excess baggage allowances, it is better to pay online rather than at the counter as there is usually a discount for online payment.

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    The 32KG is the maximum; check other airlines and you'll find it the same - it is only enforced on some routes. The newer systems run on individual buckets (each item is in its own bucket) rather than all being on a conveyer system; and thus each bucket is limited to maximum of 32 KG; but not everywhere has these new systems.
    – Burhan Khalid
    Sep 30, 2016 at 14:23
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    It's not the conveyor belts, it's the humans. In many countries over 23kg requires two people to legally lift it.
    – Loren Pechtel
    Jun 23, 2017 at 3:29
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If the limits were as you want them to be, rather than as they are, they would be written as "maximum of 2 items, with a total weight of no more than 46kg".
Clearly the rules are different, with "a maximum of 2 items, EACH weighing no more than 23kg".

So either pay the overweight penalty (if they're even going to allow you to bring something overweight, not all airlines do and not on all flights), ditch some weight, or split it over 2 bags.
The luggage handlers will thank you.

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  • I never said the limits should be how I wanted them....I went by etihad before and they allowed it ....just wanted to know if that was still allowed that's all.
    – Iram Ahmed
    Sep 30, 2016 at 13:54

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