Checked baggage

Checked baggage

Customers traveling to/from the United States and all international destinations are required to have their baggage checked 45 minutes prior to flight departure time. The free baggage allowance, as well as maximum bag weights, vary with your Mileage Plus status and/or class of service. Please review the information below for details and exceptions.

Travel within the U.S. and Canada

Revised policy: Only passengers traveling on a stand-alone ticket for flights exclusively within the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada will be affected by our new domestic checked bag policy.

You will be charged for checked baggage only if you are a Mileage Plus® general member or are not a Mileage Plus member, and you are traveling within the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and/or Canada on one of the following types of tickets:

• 
  
a paid Economy ticket not purchased in conjunction with any international fares; or
• an Economy award ticket.

View the page for more details.

Travel to/from U.S. and international destinations
(exluding travel to/from Brazil)

Cabin class/Program status	Free baggage allowance	Max weight per bag	Max baggage size
• Economy	2	50 lbs/23 kg	62 linear in/ 158 linear cm (length + width + height)
• First or Business		70 lbs/32 kg
• Global Services • 1K • Premier Executive • Star Alliance Gold	3
• Active military personnel and/or dependants with ID and traveling on orders	3 duffel bags, sea bags or B-4 bags		115 linear in/ 292 linear cm (length + width + height)

Fees for baggage more than 70 pounds/32kg or exceeding the maximum linear dimensions vary by destination Contact United or your travel agent prior to your trip for details.

Travel to/from Brazil

Cabin class/Program status	Free baggage allowance	Max. weight per bag	Max. baggage size
• Economy	2	70 lbs/32 kg	62 linear in/ 158 linear cm (length + width + height)
• First or Business
• Global Services • 1K • Premier Executive • Star Alliance Gold	3
• Active military personnel and/or dependants with ID and traveling on orders	3 duffel bags, sea bags or B-4 bags		115 linear in/ 292 linear cm (length + width + height)

Fees for baggage more than 70 pounds/32kg or exceeding the maximum linear dimensions vary by destination. Contact United or your travel agent prior to your trip for details.

Travel to Mexico City

Cabin class/Program status	Free baggage allowance	Max. weight per bag	Max. baggage size
• Economy	2	50 lbs/23 kg	62 linear in/ 158 linear cm (length + width + height)
• First or Business		70 lbs/32 kg
• Global Services • 1K • Premier Executive • Star Alliance Gold	3
• Active military personnel and/or dependants with ID and traveling on orders	3 duffel bags, sea bags or B-4 bags		115 linear in/ 292 linear cm (length + width + height)

Fees for baggage more than 70 pounds/32kg or exceeding the maximum linear dimensions vary by destination. Contact United or your travel agent prior to your trip for details.

Travel during peak periods
When traveling to Mexico City during the peak winter, spring and summer months, and holiday periods, customers will be asked to voluntarily designate a secondary bag that may be placed on a later flight. We will only be able to guarantee a primary bag at times when capacity exceeds space limitations.

During the peak winter travel period of December 1 - January 7, customers are limited to the number, size and weight of their checked baggage as outlined in the chart above. No oversize, overweight or extra bags will be accepted. In addition, the following guidelines will apply to all customers during this period:

• No oversize, overweight or extra bags will be accepted
• Pets will not be accepted as part of a customer's checked baggage
• Only one box is permitted as part of a customer's free allowance; it must be the original manufacturer's box containing the original item

Travel originating in London

The British Airport Authority strictly limits checked baggage originating in London to 70 pounds/32 kg per piece. Any piece exceeding the limit must be repackaged into smaller units.

We recommend contacting United Reservations in advance when checking items such as musical instruments, sporting equipment, camera equipment, etc. that cannot be subdivided to meet the weight limit.

Travel wholly within Asia

For travel wholly within Asia, the maximum total combined weight of all checked bags varies with your Mileage Plus status and/or class of service:

Cabin class/Program status	Total combined weight of checked bags not to exceed
• Economy	44 lbs/20 kg
• Business	66 lbs/30 kg
• First	88 lbs/40 kg
• Global Services • 1K • Premier Executive • Star Alliance Gold	An additional 44 lbs/20 kg is allowed
• Active military personnel and/or dependants with ID and traveling on orders	Any number of duffel bags, sea bags or B-4 bags up to a total maximum weight of 140 lbs/64 kg

Fees for baggage weighing more than 70 pounds/32kg or exceeding the maximum linear dimensions vary by destination. Contact United or your travel agent prior to your trip for details.