Cathay Pacific Luggage Allowance: Your Guide

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Cathay Pacific has been operating for over 70 years, and is Hong Kong’s national airline.

If you’re about to jet off on a trip with Cathay, you’ll want to know what you can take with you. Each airline has its own policy when it comes to the baggage you can carry, which can make packing confusing.

That’s where this guide comes in. We have all you need to know about Cathay Pacific’s luggage allowances, including the size and weight of bags you can carry with you, and how to buy additional baggage allowance if you need to.

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Checked Luggage vs Carry on?

Whenever you fly, your luggage allowance is usually divided into two different sections - checked, or hold baggage, and carry on, which is also called cabin baggage.

Checked luggage goes in the aircraft hold, which means you hand it over when you arrive at the airport and retrieve it at your destination from the luggage carousels. You won’t be able to access anything in these bags while you’re on the plane so it’s important to make sure flight essentials, like medicines - and valuables - are not packed in your hold bags.

Your cabin baggage is usually smaller, but can be carried onto the plane and accessed while you fly. There are rules about what can be taken into the plane cabin, though, which may vary by destination - so check out all the specifics for your route before you head to the airport.

So, what does it cost?

The baggage allowance you get with your ticket will vary according to the fare type. You can also buy additional bags on top of your ticket allowance if you need them. Here’s the lowdown¹.

Economy

Economy ticket holders can take the following:

• 1 item of cabin baggage, up to 7kg, plus one small item like a handbag or camera bag
• For most flights, 2 pieces of hold luggage, up to 30kg in total weight. For flights to and via the Americas, you can take up to 2 pieces weighing 23kg each, and for flights between Auckland/Christchurch and Hong Kong, you can take one item of 23kg

Premium Economy

Premium Economy ticket holders can take the following:

• 1 item of cabin baggage, up to 7kg, plus one small item like a handbag or camera bag
• For most flights, 2 pieces of hold luggage, up to 35kg in total weight. For flights to and via the Americas, you can take up to 2 pieces weighing 25kg each, and for flights between Auckland/Christchurch and Hong Kong, you can take 2 items of up to 23kg each

Business

Business ticket holders can take the following:

• 1 item of cabin baggage, up to 10kg, plus one small item like a handbag or camera bag
• For most flights, 2 pieces of hold luggage, up to 40kg in total weight. For flights to and via the Americas, you can take up to 2 pieces weighing 32kg each, and for flights between Auckland/Christchurch and Hong Kong, you can take 3 items of up to 23kg each

First Class

First Class ticket holders can take the following:

• 1 item of cabin baggage, up to 15kg, plus one small item like a handbag or camera bag
• For most flights, 3 pieces of hold luggage, up to 50kg in total weight. For flights to and via the Americas, you can take up to 2 pieces weighing 32kg each

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Buying additional baggage allowance

If you need to carry more that is covered in your ticket allowance, you can buy extra luggage before you travel.

You’ll usually pay according to the weight of your extra bags. You can also pay per item, if you have too many cases, but fit within the weight allowance which comes with your fare type.

Prices are calculated according to the zone your route starts and ends in. Zone 1 includes some flights within Australia, and other flight routes in Asia, Zone 2 covers destinations in South Asia, Zone 3 is the Middle East, and Zone 4 includes much of Europe and Africa, as well as many international routes from Australia. Check the specifics for your journey, online.

Here’s an overview to get you started². Buying additional luggage by weight:

Buying additional pieces of luggage:

Can I take sports equipment as checked baggage?

You can take sports equipment to most destinations, as long as it is packed according to Cathay’s guidelines, and fits within the baggage weight you have purchased.

If you’re carrying anything unusual or very large, check with your local Cathay Pacific office, at least 3 working days in advance to make sure that there’s room in the hold³.

What are the fees for excess or oversized baggage?

Cathay Pacific will allow passengers to carry bags with a maximum dimension of 203cm, or maximum weight of 32kg per piece⁴. If you have cases which weigh more than this you’ll be asked to repack and may need to pay for additional luggage items. If you know you have heavier items which can not be repacked you need to contact Cathay in advance to ask if there’s space on your flight for your excess luggage.

There are separate rules for some items such as medical devices, mobility aids and sporting equipment. You can also buy additional cabin baggage allowance if you have precious items which you want to keep in the cabin with you, such as musical instruments or artworks. Check out all the details for your specific route, online.

Arriving at the airport with more luggage than you’re allowed can be expensive - and will mean your holiday is off to a bumpy start.

Get your packing right, by checking out the luggage allowances for your ticket type and destination, online. You can also save money while you travel, by using currency specialist Wise to get your holiday money. Get yourself a free Transferwise multi-currency account online, and send and spend money all over the world with no foreign transaction fees to worry about.

Sources:

Sources accurate as of March 9 2020