A baggage allowance refers to the amount of luggage a commercial transportation passenger is allowed to take with him on his trip. This is most often associated with airplane travel, but other types of commercial transportation companies allow only a certain amount of luggage as well. The amount of luggage that a passenger is allowed to take is usually determined by the number of bags, or their weight and size. Passengers may be charged for any excess baggage, or they may have to leave it.
Baggage is usually a necessity for travelers. Most commercial transportation companies, however, limit the amount of baggage a passenger is allowed to have with him. A passenger is usually allowed to have one or two small bags that he can carry with him, which are usually known as carry-on luggage. Larger pieces of luggage must be stored in the commercial vehicle's cargo area. This luggage is typically referred to as checked luggage.
A baggage allowance may vary greatly from one company to the next. Some companies may only allow a passenger to carry one or two bags under a certain weight. Other companies may be a bit more lenient and allow a passenger to travel with more.
The amount of baggage that a passenger is allowed to carry is usually based on weight. A baggage allowance may allow a person to carry a certain number of bags, each under a specific weight. Using this method, each bag that a passenger is carrying would be weighed separately. If one of these bags is above a certain weight, the passenger may need to reorganize his luggage or pay an additional fee.
Some commercial travel companies may also determine a passenger's baggage allowance based on the combined weight of his luggage. The combined weight of these bags should be under a certain weight. A baggage allowance will also usually put a restriction on the number of bags that a person is allowed to take with him as well. Some companies are very strict regarding this, and they will not allow a passenger to carry more than a certain number of bags. Other companies may allow a passenger to carry more than the baggage allowance states, but he will be charged an excess fee.
Passengers are also usually only allowed to take a certain amount of carry-on luggage with them as well. This should typically only be a small bag that is under a certain size. Airlines typically restrict the size of their passengers' carry-on luggage, since there is a limited amount of space in the compartment bins.
