All about the hold baggage transport policy at South African Airways
Any trip requires good preparation, a plane trip maybe even more because you want to know what can and cannot be taken with you in the hand luggage and what can and can be the size and the weight of these.
South African Airways’ policy on the carriage of hand baggage
If you need a lot of your belongings to fully enjoy your next trip, take a South African Express Airways flight. The airline will carry some of your baggage free of charge and the rest after you have done some operations.
Indeed, each passenger regularly asks questions about hand luggage. Questions about what he can and cannot take on board, how to take liquids and what exactly are the dimensions allowed for carry-on baggage. There seems to be a lot of uncertainty about the latter in particular. When traveling with South African Airways, there are rules regarding the size of hand baggage allowed.
The South African company has its own rules, which you just have to follow as a traveler.
To ensure you don’t miss a thing during your stay, ask South African Airline Customer Advisors for South African Express Airways’ terms and conditions regarding the handling of additional baggage.
What size and weight can your carry-on baggage be?
What suitcases can or cannot you take on a plane? To make your life easier, we have drawn up the sizes of hand luggage authorized by the African carrier.
In the overview below you can immediately see what size bag or cart you can take with you on your flight and how many kilos you can fill it with. This takes into account an Economy class ticket, without any of the perks you might have as a frequent flyer. For the latter, you must be affiliated with a loyalty program of the airline South African Airways.
How heavy can your suitcase be? Can you actually take an accessory with you in addition to your carry-on?
As a South African Airways economy traveler, you can take 2 pieces of hand luggage with you, consisting of a suitcase or bag weighing up to 8 kilos and a handbag or laptop. Passengers traveling in business class are allowed to take 3 pieces of hand luggage, including 2 bags or suitcases of 8 kilos and a small purse or laptop. Your bags can measure a maximum of 56 x 36 x 23 cm.
What can go in the purse?
Put, among other things, your travel documents, phone and charger, medicines and money and bank cards in your hand luggage. This way you can quickly access the most important things you take with you on your trip. Also think of a cool book to read on the trip. And a pair of comfortable slippers or warm socks if you have a long flight ahead of you. In women’s bags, of course, sometimes there is a make-up bag.
Pay attention to what is and is not allowed in tubes and vials. Liquids and gels must be in a package of 100 milliliters maximum, and this in turn must be in a transparent and resealable plastic bag (maximum one liter).
Hand baggage transport for children
That’s it, tickets are sold, are you about to leave on a trip and take the South African Airways plane with your little child?
If your child is less than 2 years old, and he is traveling on your lap, he is still entitled to his own carry-on baggage in the cabin: suitcase, diaper bag … knowing that the total weight of the baggage must be less or equal to 8kg.
The thorny question of luggage begins when you book your plane ticket. In Economy Class of South African Airways, you can take 1 suitcase weighing up to 23 kilos in checked baggage. In Business Class, the authorized amount is greater, you can check in 2 suitcases, each of which can weigh a maximum of 32 kg. All suitcases can measure a maximum of 158 cm (l + w + h).
Checked baggage carried by passengers booking flights operated by South African Airways is screened at the airport.
During baggage check-in, the passenger is given a part (tear-off coupon) of the numbered baggage tag, and the other part is affixed to each baggage accepted by the Airline for transport in the baggage hold. of the aircraft under the responsibility of the Airline for the safety of these items from the moment they are handed over by the passenger until the moment they are handed over to the passenger (hereinafter – checked baggage).
The numbered baggage tag is used to identify each piece of checked baggage and contains information on the passenger’s first and last name, flight number, date of departure, airport (point) of departure and airport (point ) of destination to which checked baggage is accepted for carriage, baggage weight. The numbered baggage tag may contain other additional information.
To indicate special conditions of carriage, a special unnumbered baggage tag is also affixed to checked baggage.
The weight of heavy baggage must not exceed 64 kilograms for passengers traveling in Business Class.
They are allowed to carry two suitcases each weighing 32kg, with the exception of one wheelchair used by a disabled passenger. For the carriage of baggage on an international flight, further restrictions on the maximum weight, overall dimensions and quantity of checked baggage may be set in relation to applicable regulations and the requirements of the departure airport, transfer airport (connection) and / or destination airport (arrival).
Passengers reserving seats in Economy class have the option of checking a single piece of 23kg baggage in the hold. For baggage weighing more than 32kg. These are sent directly to the freight service of the South African airline.
South African Airways airline has the right to refuse to accept carriage as checked baggage that does not meet these requirements in weight and size.
The luggage of transfer passengers is checked in to the final destination or to the point of transfer, depending on the conditions of carriage.
The baggage of passengers transferring to intermediate airports is subject to a mandatory pre-flight inspection before being mixed with the checked baggage of passengers for whom this point of transport is the point of departure.
The airline operating the flight, after accepting the baggage for transport, is responsible for the security of the checked baggage throughout the journey. It has the right to check the weight of the baggage carried by the passenger at the airport.
If it is determined that the passenger is carrying baggage in excess of the established free standard or in excess of the amount specified in the baggage receipt, without corresponding payment for such carriage, the airline may charge additional fees or refuse to transport parts whose weight exceeds what is included in the baggage allowance granted to the passenger.
Carry your child’s stroller
South African Airways carries strollers free of charge in the hold (often with another accessory such as the car seat). However, this item is not allowed in the cabin, so your baby can stay in his stroller until the boarding gate, then it will be transferred directly to the aircraft hold, with your checked baggage.