Originfacts

Airline guide

British Airways logo

British AirwaysIATA code BA

britishairways.com(official website, opens in a new tab)

Baggage allowances, fare rules, check-in cut-offs and contact details for British Airways. Policy figures are read from British Airways’s own published pages and each one shows where it came from and when we checked it.

Home country
United Kingdom
Alliance
oneworld
Busiest markets
London, New York, Manchester
By route count · route data Jul 2026
Destinations
186 in 91 countries
Route data Jul 2026
7 of 7 sections verified· checked 6 Oct 20261 from route dataHow we check

British Airways at a glance

British Airways carry-on baggage allowance

Verified 6 Oct 2026

Source: britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/hand-baggage-allowances (opens in a new tab)

Carry-on weight by cabin
CabinCarry-on weight
Economy1 cabin bag up to 23 kg + 1 personal item up to 23 kg (40 x 30 x 15 cm)
Business & First1 cabin bag up to 23 kg + 1 personal item up to 23 kg
Cabin bag size
56 x 45 x 25 cm (22 x 18 x 10 in)

British Airways checked baggage allowance

Verified 6 Oct 2026

Source: britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/checked-baggage-allowances (opens in a new tab)

Checked allowance by cabin
CabinChecked allowance
Economy1 piece up to 23 kg (50 lbs) on Economy Standard; 0 checked bags on Basic fare
Business2 pieces up to 32 kg (70 lbs) each (Club World / Club Europe)
First3 pieces up to 32 kg (70 lbs) each (First Class)

What British Airways’s cheapest fare includes

Verified 6 Oct 2026

Source: britishairways.com/en-gb/information/tickets-and-fares/fare-types (opens in a new tab)

Lowest fare
Basic Economy / Hand Baggage Only (includes 23 kg cabin bag + personal item; checked bag for a fee; seat selection for a fee)
Seat selection
Paid advance seat selection for Basic and Standard Economy; free seat selection at online check-in 24h before departure
Changes and cancellations
Changes permitted for a fee plus fare difference; non-refundable on Basic fare

British Airways cabins and aircraft

Verified 6 Oct 2026

Source: britishairways.com/en-gb/information/about-ba/fleet-facts (opens in a new tab)

Choose a seat by location and legroom, or accept a free seat assignment at check-in. Use your flight seat map because options vary with the aircraft.

Seat options
First Class (1-2-1 suites with privacy door), Club Suite / Club World (1-2-1 lie-flat suites with door), World Traveller Plus (2-4-2 38" pitch), and World Traveller Economy (3-3-3 / 3-4-3 31" pitch)
Reserved or random
Reserve a seat in advance for a fee (free for Executive Club Silver/Gold and Business/First), or receive a free seat assignment at online check-in 24h prior
Family seating
British Airways automatically seats families with children under 12 together free of charge 3 days before departure

If your British Airways flight is delayed or cancelled

Verified 6 Oct 2026

Source: britishairways.com/en-gb/information/legal/flight-cancellations-and-delays (opens in a new tab)

These are standards published by the carrier for delays and cancellations. On codeshares or interline itineraries, the operating carrier is responsible.

Care
Under UK/EU 261, delayed or cancelled flights trigger meals, refreshments, 2 phone calls/emails, and hotel accommodation with transport for overnight delays.
Rebooking and refunds
Full refund or rebooking on alternative transport for cancellations or delays exceeding 5 hours.
Compensation
UK261 statutory compensation (£220 to £520) for cancellations or delays over 3 hours within carrier control.

British Airways check-in times and airport cut-offs

Verified 6 Oct 2026

Source: britishairways.com/en-gb/information/checking-in-and-boarding/checking-in (opens in a new tab)

Online check-in opens
24 hours before scheduled departure via britishairways.com or BA app
Domestic check-in closes
45 minutes before departure (60 min at London Heathrow T5)
International check-in closes
60 minutes before departure
Boarding closes
20 minutes before departure

How to contact British Airways

Verified 6 Oct 2026

Source: britishairways.com/en-gb/information/help-and-contacts (opens in a new tab)

Customer service phone
+44 344 493 0787
US phone
+1 800-247-9297

Where British Airways flies

Route data · Jul 2026

Source: Originfacts route-network dataset, built from TravelPayouts route data (updated 2026-07). Not verified by hand.

We track 558 British Airways routes serving 186 destinations across 91 countries.

Destinations
186
Countries
91
Routes tracked
558
Longest route
11,136 km

Busiest markets by route count

  1. London196 routes
  2. New York12 routes
  3. Manchester12 routes
  4. Madrid11 routes
  5. Johannesburg9 routes

A market may include more than one airport.

Longest route in the dataset

Buenos Aires EZEtoLondon LHR

11,136 km great-circle distance between the two airports.

Destinations in the route data

Common questions about flying British Airways

What size cabin bag can I take on British Airways?

According to British Airways’s own website (britishairways.com, checked 6 Oct 2026): 56 x 45 x 25 cm (22 x 18 x 10 in).

How heavy can my British Airways carry-on bag be?

According to British Airways’s own website (britishairways.com, checked 6 Oct 2026): 1 cabin bag up to 23 kg + 1 personal item up to 23 kg (40 x 30 x 15 cm).

What is the British Airways Economy checked baggage allowance?

According to British Airways’s own website (britishairways.com, checked 6 Oct 2026): 1 piece up to 23 kg (50 lbs) on Economy Standard; 0 checked bags on Basic fare.

When can I check in online with British Airways?

According to British Airways’s own website (britishairways.com, checked 6 Oct 2026): 24 hours before scheduled departure via britishairways.com or BA app.

When does British Airways check-in close for domestic flights?

According to British Airways’s own website (britishairways.com, checked 6 Oct 2026): 45 minutes before departure (60 min at London Heathrow T5).

When does British Airways check-in close for international flights?

According to British Airways’s own website (britishairways.com, checked 6 Oct 2026): 60 minutes before departure.

What is the British Airways customer service phone number?

According to British Airways’s own website (britishairways.com, checked 6 Oct 2026): +44 344 493 0787.

How many destinations does British Airways fly to?

Originfacts tracks 186 British Airways destinations across 91 countries, on 558 routes.

Where is British Airways based?

British Airways is based in United Kingdom. In the Originfacts route dataset, its busiest market is London, followed by New York, Manchester and Madrid.

What aircraft appear on British Airways routes?

The routes we hold name Airbus A318, Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Airbus A321, Airbus A330, Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-300, Airbus A340, Airbus A340-200, Airbus A340-300, Airbus A340-600, Airbus A380-800, Boeing 737-300, Boeing 737-400, Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 757, Boeing 757-200, Boeing 767, Boeing 767-300, Boeing 777, Boeing 777-300, Boeing/McDonnell Douglas MD-80, British Aerospace Jetstream 31, Canadair Regional Jet 900, Dash 8-400, Embraer E135 Regional Jet, Embraer E140 Regional Jet, Embraer E145 Regional Jet, Embraer E170, Embraer E170/190, Embraer E190, Fairchild Dornier 328JET, Fairchild Dornier Do-328 and Saab 2000. That dataset accumulates over time, so treat it as a record of what has flown rather than a current fleet list.

What is the longest British Airways route?

Buenos Aires to London, at 11,136 km.

Which alliance is British Airways in?

British Airways is a member of oneworld.

Sources and verification

Baggage, fare, check-in, disruption and contact figures are published only when they are read from British Airways’s own pages or a named regulator, and each one shows the page and the date it was checked. Where sources disagree we show both and publish neither. Route and destination figures come from the Originfacts route dataset and show its date instead; they are not verified by hand.