South African Airlines Checked Baggage Fees 2012 - Checked Bag Weight & Size Limits

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

NEW BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE FOR TICKETS PURCHASE ON/AFTER SEPTEMBER 5 2012
Piece concept now applies on all SA Airways operating and services [AMZ asins='B00LB7REFK,B082K8ZNQ1,B07ZWLQF9T,B00NW62PCA']

Business class – 2 pieces with 32kg (70lb) and maximum dimensions of 158cm (62inches) per piece

Economy class – 1 piece with 23kg (50lb) and maximum dimension of 158cm (62inches)

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 1PC at 10kg and one or collapsible buggy or car seat

The following exceptions will apply:

Baggage Rules for Tickets purchase before September 5 2012
Free Checked Baggage Allowances (Via Johannesburg)

When flying with South African Airways via Johannesburg, you can benefit from the following free baggage allowance:

Free Checked Baggage Allowance - Weight Concept

Applies worldwide except for flight routings where the Piece Concept (PC) applies.

First Class: 40kg (88lb)

Business Class: 30kg (66lb)

Economy Class: 23kg (50lb)

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.

First Class: 40kg (88lb)

Business Class: 30kg (66lb)

Economy Class: 23kg (50lb)

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

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: 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

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 appli-cation 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

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)

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 allowance, 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 Johannesburg-FRA.

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