MetEx House, 496a Great West Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW5 0TE  ·  Shipping since 1998
0800 096 38 39
HomePrice GuideShip vs. Airline
💰 Ship vs. Airline Fees • Honest Comparison • Since 1998

Is It Cheaper to Ship Luggage
or Pay the Airline?
The honest answer — with the numbers

The question every traveller with extra bags asks. Here is the straightforward answer: for one bag on some routes, it can go either way. For two or more bags going to most international destinations, shipping with us is almost always cheaper than paying the airline — and we collect from your door. You also travel lighter.

The 23kg rule — and the 32kg wall

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.

Short answer

💰 1 bag: depends on route. 2+ bags: almost always cheaper with us. We collect from your door. Price confirmed before collection. 0800 096 38 39

The numbers

What airlines actually charge for extra bags

Airline excess baggage fees are not published prominently for good reason. Here are the real numbers our customers encounter.

Airline Extra bag (pre-booked) At check-in gate
British Airwaysfrom £60from £60
Emiratesfrom £60from £60
Etihadfrom £60from £60
Easyjetfrom £60from £60
Ryanairfrom £60from £60
Air Indiafrom £60from £60
Qatar Airwaysfrom £60from £60

⚠ Fees vary by route, weight class and booking time. Gate prices are consistently higher than pre-booked. Two extra bags at gate rates: from £60 depending on airline.

Find out if we are cheaper for your route

Call us with your postcode, destination, bag count and airline. We give you the quote instantly.

The alternative

Airline Excess Baggage or Luggage Shipping — Which Is the Better Choice?

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 transport 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 can help 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. 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.

📋 Get a Quote 📞 0800 096 38 39
✈ Excess Baggage Hub 🎓 Student Shipping 🚗 Moving Abroad
FAQs

Ship luggage vs. airline fees — common questions

At what point is shipping luggage cheaper than paying the airline?
For most routes, the crossover point is two bags. One extra bag at check-in typically costs from £60 depending on airline and route — which can be competitive with our air freight price for that single item. Two or more bags almost always tips in our favour, particularly when you factor in door collection and the quote guarantee.
What is not included in your luggage shipping price?+
Destination charges: airport handling fees, government inspection charges and storage levied by the destination country's authorities. These are payable at the destination and are not in our UK quote. We advise on known destination charges for your route at the time of booking so you can budget for them.
How long before my flight should I ship my luggage?+
We recommend shipping 1–2 weeks before your travel date. Air freight to most destinations takes 4–10 working days from UK door collection to arrival airport. This gives a buffer for any customs processing at the destination. Sea freight requires 3–10 weeks depending on destination. These sea transit times are approximate — the actual time depends on when your LCL container finishes loading and consolidating, the vessel’s sailing date and route, any transhipment hub before the final destination, and customs clearance, so please allow a week or two either side.
Does my luggage need to travel on the same flight as me?+
No — this is the point. Your luggage travels as air freight independently. You fly unencumbered. Your bags arrive at the destination cargo warehouse 4–10 working days later. You collect with your passport and Air Waybill reference number.
📋 Collection & Booking Rules
📅
Collection hours: Within M25: Mon–Fri 09:30–16:00 • Outside M25: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00. Weekend collections applicable within Greater London only, subject to availability and surcharge. No weekend collections outside Greater London.
🚚
Collection fee: All luggage, baggage and boxes collected for shipping or storage are subject to a collection fee of £27.50 + VAT per 25 kg item (UK mainland), or £75.00 + VAT per item (Scottish Highlands and Northern Ireland). Additional weight is charged at £1.50 + VAT per kilo thereafter, plus any surcharge for overweight items.
Heavy-weight handling charge: Any single item of luggage, baggage, bags or boxes of 30 kilos physical weight, or exceeding 200 centimetres in combined dimensions (L + W + H), is liable to a heavy-weight handling charge of £30.00 per item.
🛒
Barrels & oversized items: Barrel shipments — commonly used for Caribbean and West African routes — are subject to a handling surcharge. Please advise at enquiry stage if shipping barrels so we can confirm the correct charge before booking.
Ship vs. Airline Fees • Excess Luggage Co.
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