If you have seen a price online that looks too good to be true, this guide explains why — and what luggage and excess baggage shipping from the UK actually costs in 2026. Written by Excess Luggage Co., based at Heathrow since 1998, with handled.
It is the question we are asked most often, and the honest answer is that nobody can give you an accurate rate per kilo without knowing what is actually moving. Any company that quotes you a per-kilo figure over the phone, before asking these questions, is quoting a number they may not honour at collection.
A customer may want to send a single 15kg box. That does not mean the cost is 15 multiplied by a flat rate. Airlines and carriers operate minimum charge structures — ours are published above.
Excess Luggage pricing reflects the professional packing services we provide and the care taken to ensure your goods are transported safely and securely to their destination.
A per-kilo figure implies you are buying weight on an aircraft. You are not. You are buying a process:
Even when a customer completes a Dangerous Goods declaration, prohibited items are still occasionally found during X-ray screening or physical inspection. We comply with UK aviation and maritime security regulations — failure to do so can mean significant penalties, fines or prosecution. That compliance is part of what the price pays for.
Every carrier in this industry applies a minimum chargeable weight. We do too. The difference is that ours are on this page rather than in a footnote you find at collection.
Our standard minimum chargeable weight. A 15kg box is charged at the 25kg minimum, not at 15kg.
Certain service levels operate on a 45kg minimum. We tell you which applies to your shipment before you book.
The problem with minimum weights was never that they exist — it is finding out about them when the driver is already at your door.
Air freight rates for personal effects and excess baggage from the UK have risen significantly since 2019. For consumer personal effects shipments from the UK — which involve collection, export documentation, security screening and handling — the all-in cost per chargeable kilogram is typically higher than bare cargo rates suggest.
We do not publish rate cards, and we would be wary of anyone who does. Air freight pricing moves with fuel, carrier capacity, season and route, and it depends entirely on the dimensions and weight of your specific shipment. A number printed on a web page in January is not a number anyone can honour in June — which is precisely how people end up with a price at collection that is not the price they were shown.
What we will tell you, before you commit to anything, is your actual quote for your actual shipment. Send us the details and you get a confirmed figure — not a range, not a “from”, and not subject to change when the driver arrives.
ⓘ These are indicative market ranges for 2026, not our tariff. Actual rates vary by total weight, dimensions, specific dates, fuel surcharges and seasonal demand. We confirm your quote before collection. Call us at Excess Luggage Co. on 0800 096 38 39 for a confirmed quote.
Sea freight per kilogram is lower than air freight, but it has minimum charges and longer transit times. For personal effects shipments, sea freight makes sense when you are shipping a significant volume — typically the equivalent of several large suitcases or multiple boxes — and transit time is not critical. It is the right choice for relocations and long-term postings where you have weeks rather than days.
Every year customers contact us having paid a deposit to another company, only to be told the actual price is significantly higher when the driver arrives. This happens because advertised rates apply minimum chargeable weights that most individual shipments do not reach, because volumetric weight was not calculated correctly, or because surcharges were not included in the headline rate. We confirm your quote in writing before we book a collection. The price — and as long as your bags are what you told us, that’s the price you pay. That is our commitment on every booking.
Regardless of which company you use, the following destination charges are levied by the arrival country’s governing bodies and are payable by you at destination. They are not included in any UK shipping quote from any provider:
Any hesitation or qualification on this answer should concern you.
Every carrier applies a minimum chargeable weight — we do too, and ours are published below. The question is whether it is disclosed before you book or discovered at collection.
Many advertised rates are airport-to-airport base rates only.
Brokers who do not handle the luggage directly cannot check packing quality.
A physical UK base with a verifiable address is a basic trust signal. Not all companies have one.
“I have worked in this industry for more than 40 years, and safety has always been my highest priority. Our responsibility is to protect not only the shipper’s belongings, but also airline staff, carriers, customs authorities, and fellow passengers travelling on the aircraft carrying the shipment.”
Excess Luggage Co. comply with the UK aviation and maritime security act and regulations, we ship all dangerous goods under IATA and IMDG rules, and all our staff are trained in aviation & maritime security for shipping.