Baggage allowance on a domestic economy ticket from India is usually 15 kg of check-in baggage plus a 7 kg cabin bag. Akasa Air and Air India Express both publish that figure. International economy tickets on those airlines and Emirates carry 20 kg to 35 kg, depending on route and fare. Air India Express Lite fares include no check-in bag, checked November 2026.
Domestic check-in baggage allowance
These figures come from each airline's own page, opened on 5 November 2026. Your ticket shows the allowance for your fare, and that is the figure the counter uses.
| Airline and fare | Check-in bag | Pieces | Cabin bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akasa Air | 15 kg | 1 | 7 kg |
| Akasa Air student fare | 25 kg | 1 | 7 kg |
| Air India Express Xpress Lite | None | 0 | 7 kg |
| Air India Express Value and Classic | 15 kg | 1 | 7 kg |
| Air India Express Flex | 20 kg | 1 | 7 kg |
| Air India Express Business | 25 kg | 2 | 7 kg |
Only airlines whose baggage pages opened and could be read on 5 November 2026 are listed. IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet could not be confirmed that day, so their allowances and fees are left out. Take theirs from your ticket or from the airline's own site.
International check-in baggage allowance
| Airline and fare | Route | Check-in allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Akasa Air | Most international routes | 30 kg, up to 2 pieces |
| Akasa Air | Phuket and Hanoi | 20 kg, 1 piece |
| Air India Express Value and Flex | Gulf and Singapore | 30 kg, 2 pieces |
| Air India Express Value and Flex | Thailand and Nepal | 20 kg |
| Air India Express Biz | All its international routes | 40 kg, 2 pieces |
| Emirates Economy | Most routes | 20 kg Special, 25 kg Saver, 30 kg Flex, 35 kg Flex Plus |
| Emirates Premium Economy, Business, First | Most routes | 35 kg, 40 kg, 50 kg |
| Emirates Economy | Americas and Africa routes | 1 piece of 23 kg on Special, 2 pieces of 23 kg on other fares |
The Air India Express international page says Xpress Lite stays cabin-only abroad too. It lists 7 kg of cabin baggage on every international fare.
Weight concept and piece concept
Airlines count check-in baggage in two ways. Under the weight concept, you may check in as many bags as you like up to a total weight. Under the piece concept, each bag has its own limit, so spare kilos in one bag cannot cover another. Emirates uses the weight concept on most routes and the piece concept on flights to and from the Americas and Africa.
What excess baggage costs
Extra baggage costs less when you buy it before you reach the airport. The table compares a 5 kg pre-booked slab with the airport rate for each kilogram. Fees are from the Akasa Air excess baggage page and the Air India Express fees and charges sheet.
| Airline and route | Pre-book 5 kg | Airport, per kg |
|---|---|---|
| Akasa Air, domestic | ₹3,750 | ₹800 |
| Air India Express, domestic | ₹3,750 | Up to ₹850 |
| Akasa Air, India to Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, Riyadh or Kuwait | ₹6,000 | ₹1,500 |
| Air India Express, India to UAE | ₹6,800 | ₹1,500–₹1,650 |
| Air India Express, India to Singapore | ₹7,000 | ₹2,000 |
| Air India Express, India to Thailand | ₹7,700 | ₹2,000 |
Here is the difference on a real bag. Going 5 kg over on an Akasa Air domestic flight costs ₹4,000 at the airport and ₹3,750 in advance. On its Gulf routes, the same 5 kg costs ₹7,500 at the airport and ₹6,000 in advance, which saves ₹1,500.
The return flight is priced in local money. Akasa Air charges AED 60 per kilogram at the airport from Abu Dhabi, and Air India Express lists AED 68–75 from the UAE. Akasa Air sells pre-booked excess baggage until two hours before departure, and it applies to one sector at a time.
Emirates does not print one rate. It says to open Manage your booking to see what extra baggage costs on your journey.
Size and single-bag limits
Your allowance can have room left and a bag can still be refused, because each piece has its own limit. The heaviest single bag on all four airlines here is 32 kg. A bag above that has to be split or sent another way.
| Airline | Heaviest bag | Size limit | Above the limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akasa Air | 32 kg | 158 cm total | ₹2,500 domestic, ₹4,000 international, per piece |
| Air India Express, domestic | 32 kg | 81 × 119 × 119 cm | Not accepted |
| Emirates, weight concept | 32 kg | 203 cm total | Sent as cargo |
| Emirates, piece concept | 23 kg or 32 kg by class | 150 cm total | Fee to 203 cm, cargo above |
| Malaysia Airlines | 32 kg | Under 158 cm total | Possible surcharge to 204 cm, freight above |
The Malaysia Airlines figures are from its checked baggage page, and its per-route allowance table did not load for this check. Cabin bags have their own limits, covered in our guide to cabin bag size and hand baggage rules.
Extra pieces, sports gear and special allowances
An extra bag is charged separately from extra weight. Akasa Air charges ₹1,000 per additional piece on domestic flights and ₹2,000 on international flights, on top of any excess weight. Its sports equipment fee is ₹2,000 on domestic flights and ₹4,000 on international flights when pre-booked. Air India Express lists ₹1,000 at the airport for a domestic extra piece, and ₹1,800 pre-booked or ₹2,000 at the airport internationally.
A few items have their own Akasa Air rules, which matter to many Indian families:
- Infants. An infant gets a 7 kg handbag and no check-in allowance. One stroller or pram is free.
- Holy water. Guests may check in up to 5 litres, including Zamzam water, in a sealed and leak-proof container. It counts towards the allowance.
- Alcohol. Guests may check in up to 5 litres in retail packing, with no more than 70% alcohol. That 5 litre cap does not apply at 24% alcohol or less.
Items not allowed in flight
Prohibited items differ between cabin and check-in bags, and airlines add their own rules. This table draws on the Akasa Air conditions of carriage, the Emirates dangerous goods policy and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Akasa Air's conditions also bar any item notified by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) or another relevant authority.
| Item | Cabin bag | Check-in bag |
|---|---|---|
| Power banks and spare lithium batteries | Allowed, 2 of up to 100 Wh on Akasa Air | Not allowed |
| Liquids in containers over 100 ml | Not allowed | Pack them here |
| Knives and scissors with blades over 6 cm | Not allowed on Emirates | Akasa Air refuses knives unless its conditions permit |
| Fireworks and explosives | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Lighters, lighter fuel and matches | Listed as unacceptable by Akasa Air | Listed as unacceptable by Akasa Air |
| E-cigarettes | Listed as unacceptable by Akasa Air | Listed as unacceptable by Akasa Air |
| Satellite phones and GPS devices | Unlawful without authorisation | Unlawful without authorisation |
Two Akasa Air rules are easy to miss. Authorisation for satellite phones and GPS devices comes through the Department of Telecommunications' Saral Sanchar portal, well in advance. Food with seafood, meat or poultry that may leak, or anything with a strong smell, can also be refused, so pack achar and fish in sealed containers.
Emirates also bars drills, saws, razor blades and box cutters from the cabin, along with bats, clubs and pepper sprays. Smart bags need a removable battery. IATA says a bag with a battery that cannot be removed may be refused altogether, depending on the airline.
How to stay inside your allowance
- Read the ticket first. Two passengers on one flight can hold different allowances, because the fare decides it.
- Weigh each bag at home. Do this for the return flight too, since shopping adds weight and the rate is often higher abroad.
- Count the bag itself. A heavy suitcase eats the allowance before you pack, as our trolley bag size chart explains.
- Pre-book when the scale says so. If the bag reads over, buying the extra kilos online usually beats the counter rate.
- Split weight between bags. Under the weight concept, one bag's spare kilos can cover another, as long as none passes 32 kg.
One extra kilogram at the Akasa Air domestic counter costs ₹800. That is more than the ₹369 Hoffen HO-L-8 portable weighing scale with hook or the ₹469 Hoffen HO-L-9 baggage weighing scale in stainless steel. The Hoffen HO-L-5 weight machine for luggage with strap costs ₹579. All three weigh up to 50 kg.
Luggage scales from an Indian manufacturer
Omace Brands Private Limited manufactures weighing scales at G-29 RIICO Industrial Area, Bagru, Jaipur. The company has been in the weighing trade since 1994. Every scale is checked with certified test weights before dispatch. As a manufacturer, Omace Brands Private Limited holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485:2016, an EU MDR quality certificate, a CE certificate of compliance and a US FDA compliance certificate.
Hoffen luggage scales from Omace are made in India. Retail purchases carry a 2-year warranty on manufacturing defects, and a scale that reads wrong is replaced under that warranty. Every Omace digital scale opens calibration mode when TARE is held for about 5 seconds. The luggage scale calibration steps show how to test one with a known weight.
Check your limit, then your vajan
Find the allowance on your ticket and note whether it counts weight or pieces. Weigh every bag on the morning you pack, and again before the flight home. If a bag reads over, repack it or buy the extra kilos online while the lower rate is open. Airlines change these figures, so treat this page as a guide dated November 2026 and trust your ticket first. Omace's luggage scales cover this check from ₹369 to ₹629.
