Baggage carried onto the plane is restricted by the U.K.'s Department of Transport to be in line with restrictions placed in other countries. For example Direct.gov reports restrictions of travelers to and from the U.S. are greater than those to other destinations. Hand luggage is restricted to dimensions of 22 by 17.5 by 9.85 inches with items such as laptop bags classed as the single item of hand luggage.
The U.K.'s Manchester Airport website provides a list of items that cannot be packed either in hand luggage or in either hand or checked baggage on flights in and out of U.K. airports. Items that cannot be packed in hand baggage include tweezers, tools, replica guns, knitting needles, razor blades, cutlery, darts and catapults. Manchester Airport's list of items prohibited from either form of baggage includes peroxide, flammable materials, gas cylinders, infectious materials and radioactive materials.
According to U.K. website Global Holidays, each paying passenger on a flight is allowed a certain allocation of checked baggage or luggage placed in the hold. Restrictions are applied per customer by individual airlines and the destination but can generally be placed into two categories called the piece and weight systems. Global Holidays explains that when the allowance of a passenger is surpassed an extra fee is charged by the airline.
The piece system of baggage allowance is restricted by the number of items allowed to be checked by a passenger into the hold of an aircraft. Global Holidays reports the piece system is usually used on long haul international flights to countries such as the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The allowance of baggage available to each customer is usually restricted to two pieces of baggage each with total dimensions of around 62 inches and a weight not exceeding 70 lbs. On these flights, children paying 50 percent or more of the adult fare receive a full baggage allowance, while Global Holidays reports infants flying for free are restricted to one fully collapsible stroller.
According to Global Holidays, the weight system covers the majority of international and domestic flight in Britain. The weight system of baggage allowance gives each passenger a certain allocation of weight, to restrict the amount of baggage allowed on the aircraft. These weight restrictions are described by Global Holidays as usually being in the region of 88 lbs. for first class travelers. Club Class is restricted to 66 lbs., and economy travelers are restricted to around 44 lbs.
