Additional and overweight baggage

What to do if you want to take extra bags, or if your baggage exceeds the standard weight.

This page tells you how to take more than your free bag allowance and how much it will cost.

If your bags are over the standard size of 90 x 75 x 43cm (35.5 x 29.5 x 16ins), check out our dedicated oversized baggage page

Extra bags

If you'd like to bring more than your free bag allowance, or if you've bought an Economy Light ticket and decided you need a bag after all, you can add up to 7 extra bags per person when you check in online.

Online check in opens 24 hours before your flight is due to depart, and closes 70 minutes before.

You can also pay for extra bags at the airport. it costs exactly the same, but the limit is 10 bags per person.

Overweight bags

The maximum weight in Premium and Economy is 23kg per bag. If yours are heavier than that, you'll need to pay an overweight baggage fee at the airport.

In Upper Class the maximum weight is 32kg per bag.

Sports equipment

If you'd like to take sports equipment as well as your standard bag allowance it will be classed as additional baggage, and the fees in the table below will apply.

You can swap a checked bag out for a sports item. Take a look at our Sports equipment page for more information.

Baggage fees

Additional baggage charges are per flight. Please note that any excess baggage that you buy is non-refundable and non-transferable. If a bag is overweight and also oversize, then both the charges shown below will apply.

Prices are based on whether your trip originates in the UK or US. If you're not flying from the UK or US we'll convert the GBP rate to your local currency.

They apply to adults, young adults, children and seated infants on all routes apart from the following, where the baggage allowance includes two checked in bags as standard (except for Economy Light):

UK/US - Nigeria
UK/US/Canada - India
UK/US - Pakistan
UK - Australia
US - Lebanon, South Africa, Ghana and Senegal

Number of bags being checked in	Economy Light	Economy Classic & Delight	Premium	Upper Class*	Overweight	Oversized*
Bag 1	50 GBP / 75 USD	Included	Included	Included	65 GBP / 100 USD	200 GBP / 300 USD
Bag 2	65 GBP / 100 USD	65 GBP / 100 USD	Included	Included	65 GBP / 100 USD	200 GBP / 300 USD
Bag 3	140 GBP / 200 USD	140 GBP / 200 USD	140 GBP / 200 USD	140 GBP / 200 USD	65 GBP / 100 USD	200 GBP / 300 USD
Bag 4	140 GBP / 200 USD	140 GBP / 200 USD	140 GBP / 200 USD	140 GBP / 200 USD	65 GBP / 100 USD	200 GBP / 300 USD

Flying with infants?

The baggage allowance for lap infants (without their own seat) is 1 checked bag, except in Economy Light where no baggage is included
If you're flying Economy Light, you may purchase 1 bag per infant at 50 GBP / 75 USD if you booked on or after 28th July 2021 or 45 GBP / 60 USD if you booked before 28th July 2021.
You can also bring a fully collapsible pushchair and car seat in addition to their free bag allowance.

Additional baggage terms and conditions

Purchase of excess baggage terms and conditions

1. Passengers may purchase Excess Baggage either:

in advance via Online Check in on the Virgin Atlantic website (www.virginatlantic.com); or
at the airport.

2. In order to be eligible to purchase Excess Baggage passengers must hold a valid ticket on a Qualifying Flight. A "Qualifying Flight" is a flight on services operated by Virgin Atlantic only (not on flights operated by codeshare partners).

3. Passengers shall be charged at the rates applicable at the time of purchase.

4. In case of a flight cancellation or diversion:

(i) Where passengers are re-booked on to another Virgin Atlantic flight, we will attempt to carry Excess Baggage purchased;

(ii) If for operational or safety reasons we are unable to carry your Excess Baggage on the re-booked flight, we will arrange for your Excess Baggage to be transported on another flight at no extra cost;

(iii) Where a passenger is re-booked on another carrier, the charges already paid will be refunded in accordance with Virgin Atlantic’s refund process and the passenger will be booked in the equivalent class of cabin as purchased on their original ticket and in accordance with such carrier’s policies and procedures.

5. Virgin Atlantic shall not be liable for any higher excess baggage charges and/or lower weight allowances imposed by another carrier.

6. Subject to paragraph 5 (iii) above, payments made for Excess Baggage are non-refundable. No cash or credit alternatives will be offered.

7. Excess Baggage allowances are non-transferable to other passengers.

8. Should a passenger decide upgrade to a different cabin, any Excess Baggage allowance which may have already been purchased is non-refundable.

9. The purchase of Excess Baggage in advance or at the airport does not alter the terms or fare rules the ticket purchased nor does it alter check-in times or any other aspect of the Virgin Atlantic service.

10. The purchase of Excess Baggage does not entitle passengers to earn additional Flying Club miles or tier points.

11. All refunds will be processed by the Airline’s central accounts department in the UK and credited back to the original form of payment.

12. All carriage of baggage is subject to the rules contained in Virgin Atlantic’s Conditions of Carriage and to its baggage policies (available here).

13. Should any piece of Excess Baggage exceed the weight or dimension limits or does not comply with the rules governing the carriage of baggage, Virgin Atlantic shall have the right to refuse to carry such Excess Baggage.

14. In case of conflict between these terms and Virgin Atlantic’s Conditions of Carriage, the Conditions of Carriage shall prevail.

15. Infants not occupying a seat (“Lap Infants”) are entitled to 1 piece of excess baggage when travelling in Economy Light only.

16. It is not possible to purchase additional hand baggage allowance.

17. Virgin Atlantic reserves the right to amend any or all of these terms and conditions, without notice and at any time.

18. These terms and conditions are governed by English law and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.

Date of publication: 17 March 2018

Travelling with a partner airline

If you're travelling with one of our partner airlines or your trip involves a transfer or connection from another airline, they may also charge an extra baggage fee if your checked in bags exceed their limit and you'll need to purchase your extra baggage at the airport.

To US destinations

NOTE: If you are travelling on a VS* codeshare flight connecting to or from the US (operated by one of our partner airlines) including those with an origin or destination in the US, then as the marketing carrier, Virgin Atlantic's baggage allowance applies, as above.

For any unusual sized baggage such as sporting equipment (skis, surfboards etc.) that is larger, longer or wider than a standard checked bag there may be operational and/or practical acceptance limitations to the transportation of such equipment. Please check with the operating airline concerning its baggage limitations as to whether it is able to accept carriage of such items or not (see links below).

To all other destinations

NOTE: If you are travelling on a VS* codeshare flight (operated by one of our partner airlines) then as the marketing carrier, Virgin Atlantic's baggage allowance applies, as above.