Baggage Rules on Indian Airlines: IndiGo, Air India, Akasa and SpiceJet Compared

What is the standard baggage allowance on domestic flights?

On most domestic economy tickets in India you get one checked bag of 15 kg and one cabin bag of 7 kg, plus a small personal item such as a handbag or a laptop bag. That has been the market norm on IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet and Air India Express for years, and Air India's cheaper fare families follow it too. Higher fare families and premium cabins add weight.

Airlines also sell cabin-only fares on many domestic routes. They are cheaper on paper, but you pay for any checked bag, and adding one later costs more than choosing the right fare at the start.

These are typical economy allowances at the time of review. Fare families change often and some promotional fares carry less, so the baggage line on your e-ticket is the final word.

What counts as a cabin bag?

Indian security rules allow one cabin bag per passenger, and airlines set the size and weight within that. In economy it is 7 kg, in a bag of roughly 55 × 40 × 20 cm (IndiGo specifies 55 × 35 × 25 cm), plus one personal item such as a handbag, a slim laptop bag or a duty-free bag. Business class passengers on full-service airlines usually get more weight.

Low-cost airlines do weigh cabin bags at busy airports, sometimes at the boarding gate, and paying excess at the gate is the most expensive way to do it. A hard-shell wheeled cabin bag can weigh 2.5–3.5 kg empty, which leaves you a little over 4 kg for what you pack. A soft duffel or backpack gives you more.

How does baggage work on international trips and connections?

International allowances vary much more than domestic ones. Gulf carriers and Air India on long-haul routes are generous; low-cost flights to Southeast Asia less so. The real trap is a domestic connection.

If your Lucknow–Delhi–London trip is on one ticket, under one booking reference, the international allowance usually applies to the whole journey, including the domestic leg, and your bags are checked through to London. If you book the domestic leg separately, that ticket's 15 kg limit applies, and you pay excess for everything above it at the domestic counter. You also have to collect your bags in Delhi and check in again, which needs a much longer gap between flights.

Book domestic and international legs on one ticket whenever the price difference is small. It protects your baggage allowance and, if the first flight is late, makes the airline responsible for rebooking you.

How much does excess baggage cost?

Every airline charges by the kilo or by the extra piece, and every airline makes it cheaper to buy in advance than at the airport. Pre-purchase online at least a few hours before departure, usually in blocks such as 3, 5, 10 or 15 kg. Expect domestic excess to cost several hundred rupees a kilo, and international excess to cost far more, sometimes approaching the fare itself on long routes. On piece-concept routes such as the US, a second bag is often cheaper than paying overweight charges on the first.

Two habits save most of these charges: weigh your bags at home with a ₹400–700 digital luggage scale, and wear your heaviest shoes and jacket on board. Some airlines pool the allowance for family members on the same booking and others weigh each bag against each passenger, so don't count on a 25 kg bag passing because your spouse's bag is light.

What can't you carry?

These are the items that catch Indian travellers most often:

• Dry coconut (copra) is banned in checked baggage as a fire risk.
• Power banks and spare lithium batteries travel only in the cabin, never in checked bags. Indian and many foreign airlines also restrict using power banks during the flight, so check your airline's current rule before you plug in.
• E-cigarettes are banned in India, including in baggage.
• Liquids in the cabin must be in containers of 100 ml or less, inside one transparent resealable bag of about a litre. Ghee, pickles, honey and sauces count as liquids, so pack them in checked baggage, sealed and double-bagged.
• Lighters, knives and tools are not allowed in the cabin.

What your destination allows is a separate question. Australia and New Zealand require you to declare almost all food, and the EU bars travellers from bringing meat and dairy products from outside the EU, which includes ghee and paneer.

What about babies, sports gear and mobility aids?

Infants on a lap ticket usually get a collapsible stroller or car seat carried free, and on many international routes a small checked allowance of their own. Domestic lap-infant allowances are often minimal, so check before packing a separate bag for the baby. Golf bags, bicycles, surfboards and large musical instruments need advance booking with most airlines. Wheelchairs and mobility aids are carried free under DGCA rules; request them when you book.

A packing plan that avoids most charges

1. Check the allowance on your e-ticket, not on a blog, including this one.
2. Book connecting flights on one ticket.
3. Weigh everything at home and leave a kilo of headroom for shopping and gifts.
4. Buy excess online and in advance if you need it.
5. Keep medicines, documents, chargers and a change of clothes in the cabin bag.

Our packing lists help you trim weight for each kind of trip, and our route guides list the airlines on each sector. Flying with a small child? Read travelling with a baby or toddler abroad. If you are combining several flights or airlines, send us your plan and we will price a single ticket against separate bookings.