Been told your bags have to go as cargo? Or buying a hand-luggage-only fare? Excess Luggage Co. is a specialist personal effects service — significantly cheaper than airline cargo rates for luggage, suitcases, and boxes. We ship to 185 countries. Since 1998.
All carriers require your luggage to be no more than 23kg each. Full stop. It is not a guideline and it is not negotiable at the desk.
If your luggage is over 32kg it must travel as cargo — no airline will load it as a checked bag. Your only option at check-in is to unpack everything in front of strangers and redistribute the weight. It is slow, it holds up the queue, and it is as frustrating as it sounds.
Avoid the embarrassment. Talk to Excess Luggage Co. before you fly — 0800 096 38 39 or get a quote.
Every major UK airline has a 32kg maximum weight per bag. Any single bag exceeding 32kg cannot be accepted as hold baggage — it must go as cargo. British Airways, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Turkish Airlines, and Qatar Airways all enforce this limit strictly at Heathrow.
If you are relocating, returning home after studies, or sending household goods — boxes and bags over 32kg are common. We ship them as standard.
Bags over 32kg guide →Millions of passengers book Economy Basic / hand-luggage-only fares to save money — only to discover they have zero checked baggage allowance. British Airways Economy Basic, Ryanair, and EasyJet all sell fares with no hold bags included. Every bag into the hold is charged as an extra.
If you have multiple bags or boxes, shipping them independently is consistently cheaper than adding hold bags to a hand-luggage-only fare.
Hand luggage only guide →Televisions, computer monitors, large musical instruments, bikes, kayaks, golf bags, and oversized boxes are classified as out-of-gauge cargo by most airlines. British Airways explicitly states that TVs and large screens are not accepted as hold baggage even within standard weight limits — they must be shipped as cargo.
We ship all of these as standard personal effects shipments — often at a fraction of airline cargo rates.
Oversized items guide →Airline cargo divisions — IAG Cargo (British Airways), Emirates SkyCargo, Virgin Atlantic Cargo, Turkish Cargo, Qatar Cargo — are built for commercial freight. Pallets of goods, business shipments, commercial consignments. Personal effects are handled as an afterthought, at commercial cargo rates that reflect the infrastructure and complexity of bulk freight operations.
Excess Luggage Co. does one thing: we ship personal effects, luggage, and household goods from the UK to 185 countries worldwide. This is our entire business. Our pricing, documentation, and processes are specifically designed for personal use shipments — making us consistently more cost-effective and more straightforward for individual customers.
Get a quote in minutes, or call our UK-based team on 0800 096 38 39.
If you are travelling with more than one or two suitcases, paying airline excess baggage charges can quickly become expensive. Many airlines charge additional fees for extra bags, overweight luggage or oversized items — and you will still need to carry your luggage through the airport yourself.
At Excess Luggage Ltd., we provide a convenient alternative. We collect your luggage, suitcases, boxes and personal effects directly from your UK home, office or university and ship them safely to destinations around the world by air or sea freight. Whether you are a student studying abroad, relocating overseas, emigrating, or simply travelling with extra baggage, our luggage shipping service helps you avoid carrying heavy bags through the airport while offering a reliable, fully tracked service.
Our experienced team has been helping customers ship luggage worldwide since 1998, with services to 185 countries. Depending on your destination, we also offer convenient door-to-door (subject to your destination) delivery options.
Before paying airline excess baggage fees, compare your options. You may find that shipping your luggage separately is a more convenient and cost-effective solution — particularly if you are travelling with several suitcases, sports equipment, musical instruments or personal belongings.
Get an Instant Luggage Shipping Quote
Compare the cost of airline excess baggage with our worldwide luggage shipping service. We collect from your UK address and deliver your luggage safely to your destination.