United Airlines baggage allowance guide

United Airlines’ size, weight and baggage fee rules

Looking for information on United Airline’s baggage rules? Look no further, it’s all right here

What is United Airline’s hand baggage allowance?

Most flights with United allow you to bring both a personal item (such as a handbag or backpack) and a cabin bag on board with you. Hooray!

However, as with some other airlines, there are exceptions.

If you’ve purchased a Basic Economy ticket (United’s cheapest option) and are flying anywhere other than South America, across the Atlantic or to international destinations across the Pacific (essentially within north America), you’ll only be able to bring a personal item with you.

You can pay to add a cabin bag to your trip, which will be at least £26.40 ($35) at the check-in desk (prices vary depending on route). Additionally, if your personal item is too big to fit under your seat, you’ll need to pay £49 ($65) to check it at the gate.

The good news is that items such as jackets, wheelchairs, children’s car seats and strollers can be bought on board the plane for free in addition to your allocation.

Below is an overview of United’s hand baggage policies.

United’s max cabin bag size	United’s max cabin bag weight	Number of bags allowed on board	Cost to check in hand luggage
Personal item: 22cm x 25cm x 43cm Cabin bag: 23cm x 35cm x 56cm	Not specified. Ensure you’re able to lift it into the overhead lockers unassisted	1 personal item and 1 cabin bag only	From £26.40 ($35) (or £49 ($65) if oversized)

What is United Airline’s checked baggage allowance?

United don’t share all their checked baggage allowance costs online, but encourage customers to use the baggage calculator on their website to confirm what they can bring on their specific flight.

In general however, international flights appear to include at least 1 checked bag in addition to your cabin bag and personal item. Higher classes such as United Business and United First are likely to come with a 2 checked-bag allocation.

Need more luggage? It’s easy to add bags to your flight, simply log in to the United website and add them to your booking. You’ll have to pay, but it’ll be cheaper than doing it at the airport.

Bear in mind: If you’re a frequent flyer, you may also benefit from bonus bags through United’s MileagePlus loyalty scheme, depending on your status.

See below for United’s checked baggage allowance.

United’s max hold baggage size	United’s hold luggage weight allowance	United’s hold luggage MileagePlus weight allowance	Number of hold bags allowed	Cost of United’s hold luggage
76cm x 52cm x 30cm (or 62 inches – 158cm – total)	United Economy and Premium Economy: 23kg United Business, United First and United Polaris business class: 32kg	Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum and Premier 1K: 32kg Star Alliance Gold: 32kg	United do not specify how many bags you can bring overall. Business and First: 2 free bags are included across all routes.	Depends on your fare, route and number of bags. Anything between £26.40 ($35) and £226.45 ($300)

Top tip

Consider signing up to a United Airlines’ Chase Card to receive a more generous baggage allowance.

What are United’s excess baggage fees?

Again, United don’t share their excess baggage fees online; they ask customers to use their online calculator to work out what their extra luggage costs will be.

To avoid paying out altogether however, make sure that:

• Your bags aren’t bigger than 292cm (length + width + height) or weigh more than 45kg (not applicable to musical instruments and assistive devices)
• You check that there’s space to accommodate extra bags on your flight should you wish to book them on. Not all flights allow additional baggage.

How can I get a larger baggage allowance with United?

There aren’t a lot of quick and easy ways to get extra baggage with United – outside of paying for it.

However, if you’re a frequent flyer, signing up to loyalty schemes of which United are a part is a good place to start.

MileagePlus is United’s dedicated loyalty scheme, though the airline is also part of StarAlliance, so if you have an account with a partner airline (such as Air Canada, Lufthansa or Turkish Airlines), you may be able to use your points on a United flight to get extra bags.

There are also a number of United-affiliated credit cards whose benefits include extra baggage. United Chase Cards offer every cardmember a checked bag for free, while some cardholders will receive a second, or even third, included in their flight. If you’re travelling with a friend and they’re booked on the same reservation (made with the card), they receive the same free baggage allowance as you, even if they’re not a United Chase member. As always, Ts and Cs apply, so check with the airline before packing your bags!

All information sourced from United Airlines’ website and correct as of April 2026. Always check your baggage limits with the airline before travelling.