Air Canada Baggage Allowance

Check-in Baggage

How much you can carry in check-in baggage on Air Canada would depend on:

• Route of travel
• Fare Option booked
• Air Canada Altitude Status
• Date of purchasing ticket

It is important to know what are fare options that can be booked on Air Canada and the associated baggage allowances. Allowances are based on piece-based system, not on weight-based.

Each check in bag shall be no more than 23 kg weight and 160cm in sum of dimensions if this is to qualify for free allowance.

Bags more than 23 kg but less than 32 kg are considered over-weight. 

Another important point to note is that there are restrictions of length, sum of dimensions and weight on each baggage for all classes of travel. So, bags of more than 32 kgs of weight or 292 cms linear dimensions (L+B+H+wheels+handles) or 203 cm of length will not be accepted for handling.

Whether you will be allowed to carry more than one baggage and what will be the additional costs of the same will depend on sector of travel.

Excess Baggage and its charge

You will have to pay additional fee if you want to carry baggage which is more than  the freely allowed baggage in size, number or weight.

Overweight bags are more than 23 kg and less than 32 kg.

Over-sized bags are more than 160 cm and less than 292 cms in linear dimensions.

For travel within Canada

• Overweight or oversize baggage- $105.00 - $115.00
• Both overweight and oversized bag- $105.00 - $115.00 (only 1 fee)
• Additional baggage- $105.00 - $115.00 

Between Canada and USA

• Overweight or oversize baggage- $100.00 - $105.00
• Both overweight and oversized bag- $100.00 - $105.00 (only 1 fee)
• Additional baggage- $100.00 - $105.00 

Between US and Mexico, Costa Rica, Caribbean and Bermuda

• Overweight or oversize baggage- $100.00 - $118.00
• Both overweight and oversized bag- $100.00 - $118.00 (only 1 fee)
• Additional baggage- $225.00 - $265.50

Between Canada and Other International Destinations

• Overweight or oversize baggage- $100.00 - $118.00
• Both overweight and oversized bag- $100.00 - $118.00 (only 1 fee)
• Additional baggage- $225.00 - $265.50

All these fees are calculated on per-direction basis.

Carry-on Baggage

You are allowed to carry two items as carry on baggage- one standard article and the other a personal item.

Air Canada is very particular about oversized hand or cabin luggage and it will not allow you to carry the oversized bags on-board.

The standard article shall be of maximum size 23, 40 and 55 cms (including wheels and handles) and of weight up to 10 kgs.

The personal article shall not be exceeding 16, 33, 43 cms of dimensions and 10 kgs of weight.

While traveling with an infant, you are allowed to carry 1 more standard article in the cabin.

Overcoat, wrap, small purse (up to dimensions of 25, 30 and 14 cms), mobility aids, medications, battery operated medical equipment and food to be consumed in-flight by infant is also allowed inside the cabin.

Special Baggage

Sporting equipment, pets, musical instruments and hunting equipment are some of the other special baggage items which are allowed as checked in or hand baggage. However, there might be special charges, waivers and packing instructions for this luggage.

Sporting equipment includes archery items, avalanche rescue items, bicycles, boating/fishing, broomball/curling equipments, firearms for sports, golf clubs, hockey/cricket/ringette/lacrosse equipment, kiteboards and skateboards, parachutes, racquets, scuba diving, skeleton sleds, skis, skates, snowboards, Inflatable balls, bowling balls and surfboards.

Hunting equipment include Antlers and horns, ammunition, archery equipment, firearms and fishing equipment.

Musical equipments are accepted as carry on and checked in baggage provided they meet all restrictions of dimensions, weight and numbers.

Pets can be carried in three different ways on Air Canada. One way is to carry it in cabin. For this, it will be counted as 1 standard items towards free luggage allowance. Maximum weight allowed is 10 kgs and dimensions of hard and soft sided carriers shall be (23, 40, 55 cms)  and (27, 40, 55 cms) respectively. If not counted as free baggage, the charges are CAD/USD 50 within USA and Canada and CAD/USD 100 for international travel.

The second option is to carry the pets in the baggage compartment. In this case the total of dimensions of carrier shall be 292 cms and maximum weight will be 32 kgs. The charges for carrying these within Canada and US are USD/CAD 105 and for international travel are CAD/USD 270. These charges are for one-way travel.

The third option is to make use of the cargo service of the airlines for this purpose.