How to get under the weight limit without leaving things behind
Most checked-bag limits sit at the same weight. Here's how to actually stay under it — and what the fee is if you don't.
What our data says
We track baggage rules for 118 airlines on this site. Of those, 41 publish an overweight charge, averaging $72 and reaching $200 at Jeju Air. The most common checked-bag weight limit is 23 kg, and 22 of the airlines we track charge for a full-size cabin bag on their cheapest fare (averaging $33).
These figures are recalculated from our airline pages whenever the site is rebuilt — they are not estimates.
Weight and size are two different fees
The most common checked-bag limit across the airlines we track is 23 kg. Go over it and the average charge is $72. Go over the size limit and you pay a separate oversize charge averaging $101 — and at many airlines the two stack.
This is why compression helps and also why it is misunderstood: squeezing clothes does not remove a single gram. It buys you volume, which is what keeps you under the size limit and lets you use a smaller, lighter bag in the first place.
What actually saves weight
- The empty bag. Hard shells can weigh 2–5 kg before you pack anything — that is 10–20% of a 23 kg allowance spent on the case itself.
- Shoes and books. Wear the heavy pair, and read on a phone or reader.
- Liquids. Buy toiletries at the destination — they are the densest thing most people pack.
- Move weight to the cabin. Cabin bags are rarely weighed on most full-service carriers — but check your airline page first, because several airlines we track do weigh them.
Fees change often and vary by route, fare type, and date — the figures above are calculated from our airline pages and are a guide, not a quote. Always confirm on the airline's official site before you travel.