Air India extra baggage charges

I have a Pune to Delhi Air India flight next week, and I have slightly gone over the baggage allowance. I am moving back home, so I can not leave anything behind as it is all important and so I think I may need to pay for the extra baggage charges.

I want to know what the Air India extra baggage charges are, so I have some idea what kind of costs I would have to pay.

 

Hello, @Kukji, welcome to the forum!

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Overview

Air India was founded by Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata in the 19th century as the Tata Airlines. Its first flight was from Madras (Chennai) to Karachi (Pakistan) via Bombay (Mumbai). Fast forward to today, Air India has become one of the largest airlines in the country, catering to a wide range of domestic and international passengers. Air India is also the flagship carrier of India, thereby holding the name of the country with every flight it carries. For those flying with the airline, it's essential to understand and know about their baggage allowances and extra baggage fees. This way, you'd know just how much baggage you can bring with you in your flight as well as the fees you need to pay in case you go beyond the baggage allowances.

Cabin Baggage Allowance of Air India (Domestic)

Class	Maximum Weight (Piece)	Maximum Dimension
First Class	8 Kilograms (1 Piece)	115 Centimetres
Business Class	8 Kilograms (1 Piece)	115 Centimetres
Economy Class	8 Kilograms (1 Piece)	115 Centimetres

The table above highlights the cabin baggage allowances for the domestic sector flights of Air India. This also applies to your case, since your flight is from Pune to Delhi. As you can see, the cabin baggage allowances are just the same for all classes. You are allowed to bring one piece of cabin baggage, with a maximum weight of eight kilograms. The linear dimensions of the baggage should be within 115 centimetres. The cabin baggage can be a suitcase, a backpack or even a body bag, just as long as they adhere to the previous requirements. Further, you are allowed to bring an additional piece of personal item with you, like a handbag or even a laptop bag.

Checked Baggage Allowance of Air India (Domestic)

Class	Maximum Weight For Adults (Piece)	Maximum Dimension For Adults	Maximum Weight For Infants (Piece)	Maximum Dimension For Infants
First Class	40 Kilograms (2 Pieces)	158 Centimetres	10 Kilograms (1 Piece)	115 Centimetres
Business Class	35 Kilograms (2 Pieces)	158 Centimetres	10 Kilograms (1 Piece)	115 Centimetres
Economy Class	25 Kilograms (2 Pieces)	158 Centimetres	10 Kilograms (1 Piece)	115 Centimetres

The table above highlights the checked baggage allowances for the domestic sector flights of Air India. This applies to your case as well, since your flight is from Pune to Delhi. The checked baggage allowances differ depending on the class and the passenger type. For the adults with a first class ticket, the maximum weight allowed for checked baggage is 40 kilograms, with maximum dimensions of 158 centimetres. They are allowed to bring up to two pieces of luggages that fit within the required weight.

For the adults with a business class ticket, the maximum weight allowed is up to 35 kilograms and they are also allowed to bring up to 2 pieces of luggages within these weight limits. For the adults with an economy class of ticket, they are allowed to bring 2 pieces of luggage that fit within the weight limit of 25 kilograms. Again, the maximum dimensions for each luggage should be within 158 centimetres. Aside from these requirements, make sure that each luggage does not exceed 32 kilograms in weight.

For the infants, they are entitled to a 10-kilogram weight limit for checked baggage, irregardless of the class of ticket. The linear dimensions should not exceed 115 centimetres as well. The maximum number of luggage per infant is one, so make sure you adhere to the requirements properly. Once you exceed any of these limits, only then are you subjected to excess baggage fees.

Excess Baggage Fees for Air India (Domestic)

Class	Flat Rate (Per Kilogram Excess)	Service Tax	Formula
First Class	Rs. 250	8.4% of the Excess Baggage Amount reflected on the Excess Baggage Ticket	(Excess Kilograms x 250) + 8.4% Service Tax
Business Class	Rs. 250	8.4% of the Excess Baggage Amount reflected on the Excess Baggage Ticket	(Excess Kilograms x 250) + 8.4% Service Tax
Economy Class	Rs. 250	5.6% of the Excess Baggage Amount reflected on the Excess Baggage Ticket	(Excess Kilograms x 250) + 5.6% Service Tax

The table above highlights the excess baggage fees one would need to pay when they go beyond the free baggage allowances of Air India. Though seemingly complicated, the excess baggage fees can be calculated by the passenger prior to boarding their flight. First, remember that there's a flat rate of Rs. 250 per kilogram that you exceed. For example, if you exceed 2 kilograms, then you need to multiply 250 by 2. That's not all though, the flat rate remains the same for all classes but the service taxes differ. For the first class and business class tickets, the service tax is at 8.4% of the excess baggage amount reflected on the excess baggage ticket. For the economy class ticket, the service tax is at 5.6% of the excess baggage amount reflected on the excess baggage ticket. Then, you need to add in this service tax in the per kilogram excess rate mentioned above.

Prepaid Baggage Allowance Scheme (Domestic)

Slab	Base Rate	Service Tax (For First Class and Business Class)	Service Tax (For Economy Class)	Total Rate (For First Class and Business Class)	Total Rate (For Economy Class)
Up to 5 Kilograms	Rs. 1,125	Rs. 101.25	Rs. 67.50	Rs. 1,230	Rs. 1,190
From 5 to 10 Kilograms	Rs. 2,250	Rs. 202.50	Rs. 135.00	Rs. 2,450	Rs. 2,390
From 10 to 15 Kilograms	Rs. 3,375	Rs. 303.75	Rs. 202.50	Rs. 3,680	Rs. 3,580
From 15 to 20 Kilograms	Rs. 4,500	Rs. 405.00	Rs. 270	Rs. 4,900	Rs. 4,770

The table above highlights the prepaid baggage allowance schemes of Air India. If you find yourself going beyond the baggage allowance, so much that the incurred charges would be quite high, you can opt for this baggage schemes. You can purchase these so-called slabs, which are 5 kilograms, from 5 to 10 kilograms, from 10 to 15 kilograms and from 15 to 20 kilograms. By purchasing these slabs, you can save at least 10% of your money as compared to paying the excess rates in the airport. However, you cannot purchase any of these slabs within 24 hours before your scheduled departure, but any time before that is allowed. Plus, you can only purchase these slabs from the Air India Call Centre or Air India Booking Office, not from the website itself.

Conclusion

Wondering what are the baggage allowances and excess baggage fees for the domestic flights of Air India? The guide above explains all such topics and more. You can pay for the excess baggage fees in the airport itself. Or if you have some time to spare and want to save some money, purchase the prepaid baggage allowance scheme slab that is suitable for you, through the call centre or booking office of Air India. I hope this helps!