Airline Baggage Guide
Economy class checked baggage allowances and excess fees for airlines serving South Africa from Asia. Compare costs and plan what to carry — or ship.
22Airlines
JNB · CPT · DURSA airports
VN · TH · KHOrigins covered
| Airline | Routes | Alliance | Free allowance | Extra bag online | Extra bag airport | Overweight | Verified | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air France | CDG → JNB (daily) · CDG → CPT (3×/week) | SkyTeam | 1 × 23kg | $75 | $200 | $150 | Verified 50d ago | Booking allowed up to 2h before departure. BE WARNED -some fares do not include any baggage |
| Austrian Airlines | VIE → JNB (daily) · VIE → CPT (3×/week) | Star Alliance | 2 × 23kg | — | $100 | $150 | Not verified | Part of Lufthansa Group — consistent policy. |
| British Airways | LHR → JNB (daily) · LHR → CPT (daily) | oneworld | 2 × 23kg | $75 | $95 | $100 | Not verified | Hand baggage: 1 × 23kg + 1 small bag. |
| Cathay Pacific (Asia → SA) | HAN → HKG → JNB | oneworld | 1 × 23kg | $170 | $150 | $100 | Verified 50d ago | Extra piece must be pre-purchased online. Outbound (Asia to SA) rate. |
| Cathay Pacific (SA → Asia) | JNB → HKG → HAN | oneworld | 1 × 23kg | $200 | $150 | $100 | Verified 50d ago | Extra piece must be pre-purchased online. Return (SA to Asia) rate — higher than outbound. |
| Delta Air Lines | ATL → JNB (daily) · ATL → CPT (3×/week) | SkyTeam | 2 × 23kg | $200 | $200 | $200 | Not verified | US carrier — premium rates apply. |
| EgyptAir | CAI → JNB (daily) | Star Alliance | 2 × 23kg | — | $150 | $100 | Not verified | Via Cairo hub. |
| Emirates | DXB → JNB (daily) · DXB → CPT (3×/week) | Independent | 2 × 23kg | $200 | $250 | $75 | Not verified | Two bags on the piece-concept Africa route — 46kg total between them. |
| Ethiopian Airlines | ADD → JNB (2×/day) · ADD → CPT (daily) | Star Alliance | 2 × 23kg | $50 | $75 | $100 | Not verified | Flat $100 fee for 23-32kg — split extra weight evenly across your two bags. |
| FlySafair | Domestic South Africa only | Independent | 1 × 20kg | R350 | R500 | R150/kg | Not verified | Domestic carrier — ZAR pricing, not comparable to the USD estimator. |
| Kenya Airways | NBO → JNB (2×/day) · NBO → CPT (daily) | SkyTeam | 2 × 23kg | $275 | $275 | $150 | Verified 50d ago | Via Nairobi — competitive excess rates. |
| Lufthansa | FRA → JNB (daily) · FRA → CPT (3×) · MUC → CPT (3×) | Star Alliance | 2 × 23kg | — | $100 | $110 | Not verified | Buy online; airport counter significantly higher. |
| Qantas | SYD → JNB (daily) | oneworld | 2 × 23kg | $130 | $160 | $80 | Not verified | Via Sydney — long-haul allowance. |
| Qatar Airways | DOH → JNB (2×/day) · DOH → CPT (daily) · DOH → DUR (3×) | oneworld | 2 × 23kg | $200 | $255 | Up to $80 | Not verified | Book the extra piece online — walk-up airport rates run noticeably higher. Overweight ranges $65-80/kg; budget for the top of that range. |
| Singapore Airlines | SIN → JNB (daily) · SIN → CPT (3×/week) | Star Alliance | 25–30kg total | $100 | $160 | $100 | Not verified | Weight concept on this route (25kg Lite–30kg Standard), not 2 pieces. |
| Swiss | ZRH → JNB (daily) | Star Alliance | 2 × 23kg | — | $100 | $150 | Not verified | Part of Lufthansa Group. |
| Vietnam Airlines | HAN / SGN → various hubs → JNB | Independent | 1 × 23kg | $60 | $90 | $75 | Not verified | Connect via BKK/SIN/KUL. Economy Y class only. |
| Air India | BOM → JNB (weekly) | Independent | 2 × 23kg | $80 | $120 | $75 | Not verified | Useful for BOM–JNB via direct routing. |
| Malaysia Airlines | KUL → JNB (via connecting hub) | oneworld | 2 × 23kg | $90 | $130 | $90 | Not verified | Check codeshare partner allowance carefully. |
| Turkish Airlines | IST hub — major European/Central Asian long-haul network | Star Alliance | 2 × 23kg | $250 | $300 | $80 | Not verified | Zone-based fees vary by destination; figures shown are the worst-case zone. |
| KLM | AMS hub — major European long-haul network | SkyTeam | 1 × 23kg | $120 | $150 | Up to $300 | Not verified | Economy Light/Basic fares include no checked bag at all — confirm your fare before booking. |
| ANA (All Nippon) | NRT/HND hub — major Japan/Asia long-haul network | Star Alliance | 2 × 23kg | Verify | Verify | Verify | Not verified | Generous 2-bag allowance confirmed; exact extra/overweight fees are quoted per-route by ANA rather than published as flat figures — check their calculator before booking. |
Air France
SkyTeam
CDG → JNB (daily) · CDG → CPT (3×/week)
Free allowance1 × 23kg
Extra bag online$75
Extra bag airport$200
Overweight$150
VerifiedVerified 50d ago
Booking allowed up to 2h before departure. BE WARNED -some fares do not include any baggage
Austrian Airlines
Star Alliance
VIE → JNB (daily) · VIE → CPT (3×/week)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online—
Extra bag airport$100
Overweight$150
VerifiedNot verified
Part of Lufthansa Group — consistent policy.
British Airways
oneworld
LHR → JNB (daily) · LHR → CPT (daily)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online$75
Extra bag airport$95
Overweight$100
VerifiedNot verified
Hand baggage: 1 × 23kg + 1 small bag.
Cathay Pacific (Asia → SA)
oneworld
HAN → HKG → JNB
Free allowance1 × 23kg
Extra bag online$170
Extra bag airport$150
Overweight$100
VerifiedVerified 50d ago
Extra piece must be pre-purchased online. Outbound (Asia to SA) rate.
Cathay Pacific (SA → Asia)
oneworld
JNB → HKG → HAN
Free allowance1 × 23kg
Extra bag online$200
Extra bag airport$150
Overweight$100
VerifiedVerified 50d ago
Extra piece must be pre-purchased online. Return (SA to Asia) rate — higher than outbound.
Delta Air Lines
SkyTeam
ATL → JNB (daily) · ATL → CPT (3×/week)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online$200
Extra bag airport$200
Overweight$200
VerifiedNot verified
US carrier — premium rates apply.
EgyptAir
Star Alliance
CAI → JNB (daily)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online—
Extra bag airport$150
Overweight$100
VerifiedNot verified
Via Cairo hub.
Emirates
Independent
DXB → JNB (daily) · DXB → CPT (3×/week)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online$200
Extra bag airport$250
Overweight$75
VerifiedNot verified
Two bags on the piece-concept Africa route — 46kg total between them.
Ethiopian Airlines
Star Alliance
ADD → JNB (2×/day) · ADD → CPT (daily)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online$50
Extra bag airport$75
Overweight$100
VerifiedNot verified
Flat $100 fee for 23-32kg — split extra weight evenly across your two bags.
FlySafair
Independent
Domestic South Africa only
Free allowance1 × 20kg
Extra bag onlineR350
Extra bag airportR500
OverweightR150/kg
VerifiedNot verified
Domestic carrier — ZAR pricing, not comparable to the USD estimator.
Kenya Airways
SkyTeam
NBO → JNB (2×/day) · NBO → CPT (daily)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online$275
Extra bag airport$275
Overweight$150
VerifiedVerified 50d ago
Via Nairobi — competitive excess rates.
Lufthansa
Star Alliance
FRA → JNB (daily) · FRA → CPT (3×) · MUC → CPT (3×)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online—
Extra bag airport$100
Overweight$110
VerifiedNot verified
Buy online; airport counter significantly higher.
Qantas
oneworld
SYD → JNB (daily)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online$130
Extra bag airport$160
Overweight$80
VerifiedNot verified
Via Sydney — long-haul allowance.
Qatar Airways
oneworld
DOH → JNB (2×/day) · DOH → CPT (daily) · DOH → DUR (3×)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online$200
Extra bag airport$255
OverweightUp to $80
VerifiedNot verified
Book the extra piece online — walk-up airport rates run noticeably higher. Overweight ranges $65-80/kg; budget for the top of that range.
Singapore Airlines
Star Alliance
SIN → JNB (daily) · SIN → CPT (3×/week)
Free allowance25–30kg total
Extra bag online$100
Extra bag airport$160
Overweight$100
VerifiedNot verified
Weight concept on this route (25kg Lite–30kg Standard), not 2 pieces.
Swiss
Star Alliance
ZRH → JNB (daily)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online—
Extra bag airport$100
Overweight$150
VerifiedNot verified
Part of Lufthansa Group.
Vietnam Airlines
Independent
HAN / SGN → various hubs → JNB
Free allowance1 × 23kg
Extra bag online$60
Extra bag airport$90
Overweight$75
VerifiedNot verified
Connect via BKK/SIN/KUL. Economy Y class only.
Air India
Independent
BOM → JNB (weekly)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online$80
Extra bag airport$120
Overweight$75
VerifiedNot verified
Useful for BOM–JNB via direct routing.
Malaysia Airlines
oneworld
KUL → JNB (via connecting hub)
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online$90
Extra bag airport$130
Overweight$90
VerifiedNot verified
Check codeshare partner allowance carefully.
Turkish Airlines
Star Alliance
IST hub — major European/Central Asian long-haul network
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag online$250
Extra bag airport$300
Overweight$80
VerifiedNot verified
Zone-based fees vary by destination; figures shown are the worst-case zone.
KLM
SkyTeam
AMS hub — major European long-haul network
Free allowance1 × 23kg
Extra bag online$120
Extra bag airport$150
OverweightUp to $300
VerifiedNot verified
Economy Light/Basic fares include no checked bag at all — confirm your fare before booking.
ANA (All Nippon)
Star Alliance
NRT/HND hub — major Japan/Asia long-haul network
Free allowance2 × 23kg
Extra bag onlineVerify
Extra bag airportVerify
OverweightVerify
VerifiedNot verified
Generous 2-bag allowance confirmed; exact extra/overweight fees are quoted per-route by ANA rather than published as flat figures — check their calculator before booking.
Always pre-purchase online
Airport excess baggage counters charge 40–100% more than the online rate. Buy before you leave home — most airlines allow purchase up to a few hours before departure.
Weight vs piece system
Most long-haul carriers to South Africa use a piece system (2 bags of up to 23kg each). Know which applies before you pack.
Heavy item surcharge
Bags between 23–32kg attract an overweight fee. Bags over 32kg are generally refused. Split into two bags instead.
Codeshare pitfalls
The allowance of the operating carrier applies, not the marketing carrier. Always check the fare conditions carefully.
Legend: — = Not available online (purchase at airport) · All fees are approximate. Verify with your airline before travel.