Austrian Airlines is a solid airline when it comes to onboard catering and reliable product in both economy and business. However, Austrian does have baggage fees, and they can add up if you buy the wrong fare.
In this article, I’ll discuss Austrian Airlines the specific baggage fees for carry-ons, checked bags, and international flights showing you some ways to avoid these fees. I’ll also talk about particular circumstances such as for overweight baggage, pet policies, and sports equipment.
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What are Austrian Airline’s baggage fees?
Austrian allows one free personal item, carry-on luggage, and checked piece of luggage for free for all of their fares besides Economy Light fare which doesn’t have free checked baggage. I will go into detail below.
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How can I avoid baggage fees of Austrian Airlines?
There are a few different ways that you can avoid checked baggage fees with Austrian Airlines.
Fare options
Austrian has a total of 9 different fares named: economy light, economy saver, economy basic, economy flex, premium economy saver, premium economy basic, premium economy flex, business saver, and business flex. The difference between these fares are the fees for changes/cancellations, seat, and baggage allowance.
Out of all these fares, Economy Light is the only fare that restricts checked baggage and makes the passenger pay for checking baggage if they paid for that fare. All other fares allow the passenger to check bags for free and some fares even allow the passenger to have more than one carry-on luggage.
Intercontinental flights
| Economy Light | Economy Saver, Basic & Flex | Premium Economy Saver, Basic & Flex | Business Saver & Flex | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults and Children aged 2 years and older | no baggage | 1 bag 23 kg (50 lb) each | 2 bag 23 kg (50 lb) each | 2 bag 32 kg (70 lb) each |
| Children up to 2 years | no baggage | 1 bag 23 kg (50 lb) each | 1 bag 23 kg (50 lb) each | 1 bag 32 kg (70 lb) each |
European flights
| Economy Light | Economy Classic & Flex | Business | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults and Children aged 2 years and older | no baggage | 1 bag 23 kg (50 lb) each | 2 bag 32 kg (70 lb) each |
| Children up to 2 years | no baggage | 1 bag 23 kg (50 lb) each | 2 bag 32 kg (70 lb) each |
Each fare is priced differently on each route and changes every day depending on the seats left for that fare on that route and on that day. Sometimes, Economy Light won’t even be available on specific routes.
Airline Elite Status
Star Alliance Gold members or Austrian’s own Frequent flyer program called Miles & More give one more free bag to check for member depending on their status and class flying. Here is the baggage allowance for elite status holders:
Intercontinental flights
| Economy Light | Economy Saver, Basic & Flex | Premium Economy Saver, Basic & Flex | Business Saver & Flex | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HON Circle, Senator, and Star Alliance Gold | 1 bag 23 kg (50 lb) each | In addition to the free baggage allowance according to the fare: one bag max. 23 kg (50 lb) each | In addition to the free baggage allowance according to the fare: one bag max. 23 kg (50 lb) each | In addition to the free baggage allowance according to the fare: one bag max. 32 kg (70 lb) each |
| Frequent Traveller (FTL card) | no baggage | One bag max. 23 kg (50 lb) each | Two bags each max. 23 kg (50 lb) each | Two bags each max. 32 kg (70 lb) each |
European flights
| Economy Light | Economy Classic & Flex | Business | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HON Circle, Senator, and Star Alliance Gold | no baggage | In addition to the free baggage allowance according to the fare: One bag max. 23 kg (50 lb) each | In addition to the free baggage allowance according to the fare: One bag max. 32 kg (70 lb) each |
| Frequent Traveller (FTL card) | no baggage | Two bags each max. 23 kg (50 lb) each | Two bags each max. 32 kg (70 lb) each |
Unlike Lufthansa, Austrian allows their top elites HON Circle, Senator, and Star Alliance Gold elites to check one bag for free on intercontinental routes.
Credit Cards
You can utilize certain credit cards to reduce or eliminate your baggage fees on Austrian.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the hottest travel rewards credit cards. It earns 3X the points on dining and travel and comes with a host of valuable benefits. One of these perks is a $300 travel credit that can be used on anything that codes as travel, including your baggage fees.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
One of my favorite cards to use to cover miscellaneous travel purchases is the Capital One Venture card. It’s a popular credit card that comes with a bonus of 50,000 miles after you spend $3,000 in the first three months.
It earns 2% cash back on all purchases toward travel, and the points can be used to cover virtually any travel purchase.
Austrian Airlines personal item and carry-on restrictions
When flying Austrian, each economy or premium economy passenger can bring onboard one personal item and one carry-on bag, or one personal item and two carry-on bags if you’re seated in business.
Personal item
You can bring one personal item onboard and can be anything that can go under the seat in front of you or under the ottoman in business. Personal items must not exceed:
- 15″ Length (40 cm)
- 11″ Width (30 cm)
- 3.9″ Height (10 cm)
Some examples of personal items would be a briefcase, purse, laptop, and small backpack.
Carry-on
Depending on the cabin you’re seated in you can either bring one carry-on or two carry-on bags. Economy and premium economy can bring one carry-on. Business can bring two carry-on bags. The carry-on must not exceed:
- 21″ Length (55 cm)
- 15″ Width (40 cm)
- 9″ Height (23 cm)
- 17 lbs (8 kg)
If you have a foldable garment bag as your carry-on item, you cannot have it exceed more than 22 x 21 x 5.9 inches (57 x 54 x 15 cm.)
For your carry-on item, you can bring a suitcase, bag, garment bag, carry cot, pushchair or child seat for infants, and any required mobility aids, such as a wheelchair. Some items will be gate checked for free. As long as it doesn’t exceed the dimensions above, you will be fine.
Liquids
The same TSA standards apply to Austrian flights arriving or departing from the US. You can review a list provided by the TSA of permitted and prohibited items which may be included in carry-on baggage including the 3-1-1 Liquids Rule.
Austrian Airlines checked baggage fees to/from the USA
If you’re traveling to or from the USA and want to check baggage for economy light, here are the fees displayed in the table below.
| Advance sale | Price at check-in | |
|---|---|---|
| First bag | EUR 60 (USD 71) | EUR 60 (USD 71) |
| 2nd bag fee in economy | EUR 90 (USD 106) | EUR 90 (USD 106) |
| Baggage fee after the second bag | EUR 200 (USD 237) | EUR 200 (USD 237) |
Remember, baggage weighing no more than 23 kg (50 lbs) and no greater than 158 cm (62 in) are accepted for the prices above.
Regular economy, premium economy, or business class, please refer to these fees below. Remember, the bag can be no greater than 158 cm (62 in) and weighing no more than 23 kg (50 lbs) for economy and 32 kg (70 lbs) business class. Always refer to the section “How can I avoid baggage fees of Austrian Airlines?” for full details.
| Within the free baggage allowance | |
|---|---|
| Additional piece of baggage US East | EUR 200 (USD 237) |
| Additional piece of baggage US West | EUR 250 (USD 296) |
| 2nd bag fee in economy | EUR 90 (USD 106) |
In the table, you noticed economy can check a bag at a discounted rate of USD $106. This means, if your economy seat only allows 1 bag for free and you want to add another bag, you just have to pay $106. However, if you had two bags for free in economy, you won’t get the discounted rate of $106 and you will have to pay USD $237.
Austrian Airlines checked baggage fees
The prices below are for one-way flights, not roundtrip, and must not exceed 62″ (158 cm) in overall dimensions. Please refer to the above section named “How can I avoid baggage fees of Austrian Airlines?” to find weight allowances and allowances for specific cabins and fares, as class and status give you different allowances. Here are all the fees for all destinations below.
| Flight segment | Within the free baggage allowance | Destinations |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic | EUR 70 (USD 83) | Flights within Austria |
| Routes within Europe | EUR 80 (USD 95) | Flights within Europe incl. Morocco and Armenia |
| Intercontinental near distance | EUR 100 (USD 118) | Between Europe and Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Israel |
| Intercontinental medium distance | EUR 200 (USD 237) | Between Europe and Chicago, Maldives, Miami, Canada, New York and Washington D.C. |
| Intercontinental long distance | EUR 250 (USD 296) | Between Europe and Thailand, South Africa, Los Angeles, Mauritius and China |
| Japan | EUR 150 (USD 177) JPY 20,000 (USD 191) | Between Europe and Japan |
Economy light fare fees will be:
| Flight segment | Advance sale | Price at check-in |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic routes | EUR 15 (USD 17) | EUR 50 (USD 59) |
| Routes between selected European countries and the USA / Canada | EUR 25 (USD 29) | EUR 50 (USD 59) |
| Routes between selected European countries and USA/Canada | EUR 60 (USD 71) | EUR 60 (USD 71) |
| Worldwide destinations | EUR 60 (USD 71) | EUR 90 (USD 106) |
Selected European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Slovakia, Turkey (except route from USA to Turkey) and the UK.
For economy class fares to/from/via USA, Canada, Mexico the charge is EUR 90 or USD/CAD 106.
While the prices seem very high, Austrian does give out a pretty good allowance for free checked bags, especially in business and elites. However, it’s still not cheap if you’re flying economy and want to bring a second bag.
Remember, I would avoid Economy Light fares as they don’t offer one free bag, advance seat reservations, and any changes.
In comparison to other international airlines, United charges the following rates:
- $35 for the first checked bag
- $45 for the second checked bag
- $150 to $200 for the third checked bag ($200 for some international flights)
Tip: Get all the tips and pointers you need for your checked bags in our ultimate guide to checked luggage!
Austrian Airlines checked baggage allowance
Checked bags flying Austrian Airlines must not exceed 62″ (158 cm) in overall dimensions and exceed 50 lbs (23 kg) if you are flying economy or premium economy without status. If you’re flying with status or business your weight limit is 70 lbs (32 kg.)
Austrian Airlines excess checked baggage fee
Overweight bags and/or bags that exceed the dimensions will receive an extra fee when flying Austrian Airlines.
Fees in excess of free baggage allowance
| Flight segment | Price per 23-32 kg OR 158-292 cm (50-70 lbs OR 62-115 in) | Price per 23-32 kg AND 158-292 cm (50-70 lbs AND 62-115 in) | Destinations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | EUR 40 (USD 46) | EUR 80 (USD 92) | Flights within Austria |
| Europe | EUR 50 (USD 57) | EUR 100 (USD 114) | Flights within Europe incl. Morocco and Armenia |
| Intercontinental near distance | EUR 75 (USD 86) | EUR 150 (USD 172) | Between Europe and Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Israel |
| Intercontinental medium distance | EUR 120 (USD 137) | EUR 240 (USD 275) | Between Europe and Chicago, Maldives, Miami, Canada, New York and Washington D.C. |
| Intercontinental long distance | EUR 150 (USD 172) | EUR 300 (USD 343) | Between Europe and Thailand, South Africa, Los Angeles, Mauritius and China |
| Japan | Heavier: EUR 100 (USD 114) Larger: EUR 200 (USD 229) | EUR 300 (USD 343) | Between Europe and Japan |
Bags over 32 kg (70 lbs) will be refused and cannot be checked.
Sports baggage on Austrian Airlines flights
If you have sports baggage, you must register your sports bag no later than 24 hours before departure. To learn more about the fees associated, visit here.
To register sports baggage, you can contact your travel agency or Austrian Airlines.
Some standard sports equipment would be:
- Fishing
- Ball sport
- Ski/snowboarding
- Bicycle
- Golf
- Shortboards
- Skateboard
- Kite surfboard
Some bulky sports equipment would be:
- Hang glider
- Tandem bicycle
- Boats
- Riding Gear
- Pole vaulter’s pole
- Boards greater than 2 meters in length
- Longboard
- Windsurfing
Remember, you must confirm your sports baggage otherwise the check-in staff will refuse it.
Musical instruments in the cabin
For musical instruments, they cannot exceed more than the checked baggage allowance or carry-on allowance size and weight. Austrian doesn’t have an official policy about musical instruments and they will not be liable if you transport your musical instrument as checked baggage.
Do contact your travel agency or Austrian Airlines if you have any concerns regarding checking your musical instrument. They might be able to help you.
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Austrian Airlines military baggage policy
Since Austrian Airlines is an international airline, they don’t give US military personnel or veterans any benefits for flying their metal. Therefore, Austrian Airlines won’t allow US military personnel to check bags for free. Only US airlines will give benefits to US military personnel and veterans.
If you want to learn more about military benefits for airlines, I suggest reading our article.
When can I check-in bags for Austrian Airlines?
Check-in depends on your departure city. For airports that only serve one Austrian flight a day, the check-in counters typically only open up 3 hours prior to the scheduled departure.
Bags must be checked in at least 40 minutes prior to the scheduled departure on domestic and Schengen flights. For international flights, bags must be checked in at least 60 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.
Austrian Airlines pet policy
When traveling between the US and Europe on Austrian Airlines, small dogs and cats weighing less than 8 kg (17 lbs) in a suitable transport container may be taken with you into the cabin and easy stowage in front of your seat. Traveling with assistance dogs, please refer to these exceptions under “assistance dogs” tab.
If you’re traveling with or transporting an animal, registration is necessary. Please refer to this general advice page for transporting animals.
What if my bags are lost or damaged?
If your bags are lost or damaged make sure you report it to Austrian Airlines immediately. It is imperative to make a claim in person or online after the flight.
You can either go to baggage services at the airport or online. Please refer to this link.
What if I lost an item on Austrian Airlines?
You can contact Austrian Airlines at this number +43 (0)5 1766 1008, but it is best to find a crewmember at the airport before leaving and reporting the lost item to the Lufthansa ground staff or gate agents.
You can also read this handy little blog post by Austrian Airlines here.
Final word
Austrian Airlines is a nice boutique airline owned by Lufthansa Group. Luckily, Austrian Airlines has easy to digest baggage allowances for most fares. If you can get away with a carry-on, Economy Light might work. However, if you know you have baggage, it’s best to book a regular economy ticket.
Cover photo by Riik@mctr via Flickr.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time credit card rewards/travel expert and has earned and redeemed millions of miles to travel the globe. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.