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baggage - policy

Free Baggage Allowance

Area of Application

• Weight Concept (WC) applies worldwide except for fare origin when PC applies.

Checked Baggage
Maximum Weight per Piece and Passenger (Weight Concept):

Please note, that more than 32kg per piece is not accepted as excess baggage. If exceeding 32 kg, the piece of baggage must be checked as air cargo at specified cargo rates.

Free Baggage Allowance Weight Concept

• Children and Infants paying at least 50% of the adult fare are entitled to the same allowance as adults.
• Infants not entitled to a seat shall only be permitted 10kg and one collapsible buggy.

Exceptions:

• Star Alliance gold customers on Star-Operated Flights: additional 20kg
• South African Airways Voyager card holders on SA operated flights:
  • Platinum and Platinum Elect: additional 30kg
  • Gold and Gold Elect: additional 20kg
  • Silver and Silver Elect: additional 10kg
  • Blue: No Additional
• Between Lusaka and South African via JNB

  Class
  Business Class	40kg
  Economy Class	30kg
  Infants: Business and Economy	10kgs

Unchecked Baggage
In addition to the checked baggage allowance, each passenger may carry without additional charges hand baggage suitable for placement inside the aircraft cabin, subject to space availability. Maximum dimensions for one piece 52x40x23cm, maximum weight 8kg. The size of one carry on item shall not exceed the overall dimensions of 115cm.

The following are classified as carry-on items:

• Handbag, pocket book or purse
• Overcoat, wrap or blanket;
• Umbrella or walking stick;
• Small camera and/or binoculars;
• Reading matter for flight;
• Infant food for consumption during the flight;
• Infant carry basket/carry cot;
• Handicapped Passenger, if needed during the journey ( will be carried free of charge even if it is carried in the aircraft hold ):
  • 1 Wheelchair (only in the aircraft hold)
  • 1 Pair of crutches or braces
  • 1 Small dialysis equipment. For self-use of the passenger (only in aircraft hold)
  • 1 Other orthopedic device
  • Braces or prosthetic devices (provided passenger is dependent on them);
  • Portable PC (not to be activated without permission from crew); and
  • Mobile phone (not to be utilized during flight).

NOTE:

• When for operational reasons there is no space in the cabin to accommodate carry-on items, such items may be carried in the hold of the aircraft.
• The above articles, other than wheelchairs and infant carrying baskets, must be limited to a size, which may be conveniently stowed in the aircraft’s cupboard or pod or under the seat in front of the passenger.
• Persons with reduced mobility may carry free of charge one wheelchair and/or other assertive devices they are dependent on.
• The standard allowance per class is First/Business, two pieces of cabin baggage. Economy one piece of carry on for domestic and international flights. This applies to all passengers travelling in economy class regardless of their Voyager, or other status.
• For through journeys where the passenger travels partly on Business Class and partly on Economy Class service the free baggage allowance on each portion of travel shall be that applicable to the class of service for which the fare is paid.
• When an item claims to be one specified above, but does not visibly accord with the relevant description, or if the passenger has more than one piece of hand baggage, it must be mass checked and such mass will be included in the total baggage mass.
• Any other articles shall not be carried free in addition to the free allowance and the acceptance of such other articles in the passenger cabin must be limited to conform to airline regulations.
• This free baggage allowance only applies to weight concept and not piece concept flights.

Interlining:

In case of SA unilateral application of PC in opposition to IATA regulations, PC-charges apply only on SA sectors; for interlining on ongoing other airline sectors please check the free allowance shown on the respective sector ticket coupons. In case of through-check-in and excess, the applicable excess baggage charges have to be charged also if only require for parts of the journey. If excess baggage applies on a routing where no published excess baggage charge is available, the applicable charge applies in the direction of travel for SA sectors and for other airline sectors according to the transporting carrier’s rules and charges.

Excess Baggage Charges

Rates

Collection

All excess baggage must be assessed and charged for, prior to the boarding of the aircraft, to the passenger. Excess weight charges can also be paid for the entire journey to the final destination or to the next point of transfer or stopover. Excess Baggage is not guaranteed and may only be accommodated on the next available flight, where applicable, even if the passenger already paid for the excess baggage.

Domestic:
ZAR26.00 plus ZAR 4.00 (VAT) = Total ZAR30.00 per kg

International:
Baggage in excess of the checked baggage allowance charges apply at 1.5% per kg of the highest SA normal direct adult one way economy class fare.

• In effect on the date of issuance of the excess baggage ticket
• In the direction of travel
• From the point for which the checked baggage allowance is exceeded to the first point at which the baggage is collected.

Piece Concept Rates
Please refer to the SAA Baggage Policy for excess baggage charges regarding the Piece Concept.

Special Baggage Charges

AVIH – Animal in hold
N.B Not to be accepted as excess baggage on international and regional routes – refer to Cargo.

AVIH is not included in the free baggage allowance. The animal shall be carried in a container that meets the specification of the “IATA live animals regulations”. Suitable containers maybe purchased from selected pet shops.

Normal excess baggage rates will apply for all 4 crate sizes incl. the animal.

PETC

• Accompanied pets and container shall not be included in the free baggage allowance and the normal excess baggage rates apply.
• No pets permitted in Cabin.

Exceptions:
Airlink may accept for transportation in the aircraft cabin without charge:

• A dog, trained to lead the blind when it accompanies a passenger with impaired vision dependent upon such a dog.
• A dog, trained to assist the deaf, when it accompanies a passenger with impaired hearing dependent upon such dog, provided that such passenger’s impaired hearing shall be evidenced by a medical certificate.

The dog, when properly harnessed, may be permitted to accompany such passenger into the aircraft cabin but shall not be permitted to occupy a seat.

WCHS / WCHC
No excess baggage charges to be raised for the carriage of the following items:

• Non-collapsible wheelchairs and power driven wheelchairs may be accepted provided the passenger is dependent on it.

SPORTING EQUIPMENT

Sportsmen or women travelling individually or in groups will be permitted to include their sporting equipment in the free baggage allowance applicable to the class in which they will travel. The airline will not accept liability for damage to such articles if they are not suitably packed. Sporting equipment in excess of the applicable free baggage allowance will be charged in accordance with the current baggage policy.

Sporting equipment can be classified as follows:

• Scuba diving equipment. Diving cylinders must be empty and hung upside down with the valve open for 24 hours prior to departure.
• Canoes. (Not permitted on Airlink)
• Snow skiing equipment. (Not permitted on Airlink)
• Paddle skis. (Not permitted on Airlink)
• Hiking equipment.
• Hunting equipment / trophies.
• Golfing equipment. (Restricted to 1 Golf Bag per passenger on Airlink Flights)
• Surfing equipment. (Not permitted on Airlink)
• Bicycle. (Restricted to 2 Bicycles on Airlink Flights)
• Angling equipment. Must be packed in protective cylinders not exceeding 2m in length.

General Baggage Conditions

Free Baggage Allowance
A passenger may carry some baggage free of charge, subject to the conditions and limitations that are mentioned in the ticket and according to the terms of Airlink. The weight of each piece of baggage may not exceed 32 kg.

Excess Baggage
In case of baggage in excess of the free allowance a passenger has to pay the charges as published by Airlink.

Checked Baggage
Checked baggage means baggage of which the carrier takes custody and for which the carrier has issued a baggage check. The checked baggage gets loaded in the aircraft hold. This baggage is accepted at the check-in counter and is delivered to the passenger at the baggage claim upon arrival. Checked baggage usually follows the same itinerary as the passenger, provided the passenger is through-ticketed between carriers which participate in an interline agreement. In these circumstances checked baggage will be automatically transferred from one carrier’s flight to another. Exceptions to this occur when baggage must be cleared through customs formalities at the transfer station. Usually in such cases, the baggage will be claimed by the passenger for inspection and then given back to the carrier or its handling agent for the continuation of the journey.

NOTE:
Passengers that arrive at an outstation and a passenger produces a baggage tag that shows that the bag was only tagged to JNB, Airlink will not take responsibility for the bag. Airlink could open up a missing file and update the file to state that the file is a courtesy; that the passenger should collect the bag at the airport once it arrives. Airlink will NOT deliver the bag in cases such as these. Airlink also need to stress that we’re NOT responsible as the bag was never checked in with Airlink. Previously, Airlink would retag the bags at interline. But it was found that in some instances the bags were not located. This result in the passenger having the new receipt Airlink gave him and the old tag is still on the bag. The missing file gets opened with the new tag number and passenger and bag never gets reconciled. Interline staff will not retag bags. Airlink gives the passenger the option to clear immigration and customs collect their bags at arrivals and have it rechecked at check-in on the outside.

Should the passenger not have proper documents to enter the country we send the passenger back to the airline involved and ensure that the airline find the bag/s, retag the bag/s before we update the system to advise that the passenger checked baggage in with Airlink. Alternatively we revert back to the before mentioned.

It is also very important for the agents to update the missing file with BR and stress that the passenger was too pick his/her bag up in JNB but neglected to do so.

The passenger shall not include in his/her checked baggage, and Airlink will assume no liability for loss or damage and may refuse to carry as checked baggage:

• Fragile articles;
• Perishable articles;
• Valuable items such as:
  • cameras and accessories;
  • computers and accessories (notebooks and notepads);
  • mobile phones;
  • legal and/or company documents;
  • legal tender (cash cards or cheques);
  • bullion (gold, silver etc);
  • leather jackets and clothing; or
  • all types of jewellery.

Carry-on Baggage (Unchecked Baggage)
Passenger carry-on baggage is limited to ONE piece not exceeding certain size and weight restrictions which enable it to be safely stowed wither under the seat in front of the passenger or in an overhead bin, locker or compartment. If baggage cannot be stored by this means or is of excessive weight or is considered unsafe for any reason, it must be checked as checked baggage in the aircraft hold. Carry-on baggage is usually included when calculating a passenger’s actual free baggage allowance.

Airlink Accepts:

• 2 Pieces of carry-on baggage in Business Class
• 1 Piece of carry-on baggage in Economy Class
• Maximum dimension for one piece 52x40x23cm, max weight 8kg. The size of one carry on item shall not exceed the overall size of 115 cm.

Items not to be included in unchecked baggage:
The following list (aligned with ICAO and IATA recommended practice) is provided as a guideline of what items are not to be allowed in the cabin of Airlink aircraft. Items indicated on this list, except firearms and ammunition, may however be carried in the checked baggage of passengers. This does not include the obvious items considered as harmful items i.e. knives, firearms, explosives, grenades, etc.

• Axes and Hatchets
• Ammunition
• Baseball Bats
• Blackjacks
• Bows and Arrows
• Box Cutters
• Brass Knuckles
• Corkscrews
• Cricket Bats
• Crow Bars
• Disabling Chemicals or Gases
• Electronic Cigarette
• Fire Extinguishers
• Flare Pistols
• Golf Clubs
• Hammers
• Hockey Sticks
• Hunting Knives
• Ice Axe / Ice Pick
• Large Heavy Tools (Wrenches, Pliers etc.)
• Martial Arts Devices
• Metal Scissors with Pointed tips
• Pepper Spray
• Pool Cues
• Portable Power Drills
• Razor Blades (not in cartridge)
• Religious Knives
• Screw Drivers
• Ski Poles
• Spear Guns
• Stun Guns / Shocking Devices
• Swords
• Tear Gas
• Throwing Stars
• Toy Weapons

NOTE:
Manicure sets, including small scissors and metal nail files are permitted. Certain items not listed as Prohibited items which may be carried on a person or in cabin baggage for medical or other use, such as syringes and hypodermically needles should be declared the airline check-in agent or checkpoint security staff. The airline will accept this carriage of these items in the cabin of the aircraft only if such items are accompanied by clearly labeled medication such as insulin or other life saving medicines. Unlabeled or unidentified substances accompanied with syringes, or packs of needles not accompanied by the above may be denied for carriage on a person or within cabin baggage. Passengers carrying these items, not requiring access to such items during flight are encouraged to rather pack these within their checked baggage. When such items are considered as unjustified or non essential, security staff may confiscate such items if a passenger fails to provide sufficient reason and/or medical evidence to carry such items.

Further restrictions on items allowed in sterile areas of airports, may be imposed or may differ from country to country, dependant on the Policy of the Local Authorities.

Portable Electronic Devices (PEDS)
To minimize the risk of PED’s interfering with the aircraft systems, the carrier must ensure that passengers are adequately briefed on the potential dangers of using PEDs onboard aircrafts. Certain PEDs may only be used during the cruise phase of the flight with permission of the Captain, who has the final authority regarding such usage include. These include:

• Laptop computers outside critical stages of flight with permission of the Captain (associated printers and CD ROM equipment may not be used);
• Hand-held calculators and electronic games; and
• Audio tape players and recorders.

The following equipment may be used onboard the aircraft without restriction:

• Heart pacemakers;
• Hearing aids;
• Clocks, watches and timers; and
• Medical equipment approved for use in an aircraft.

The following equipment is prohibited from use on board an aircraft at all times:

• AM / FM / TV transmitters and/or receivers;
• Walkie Talkies;
• Remote controlled toys;
• Scanners;
• Citizen band transceivers;
• Cordless microphones;
• Satellite receivers;
• Portable video equipment;
• Electric power converters;
• Electronic Cigarette
• Computer printers;
• Laser pointers; and
• CD players and CD-ROM devices

Dangerous Goods

Items that may not be carried onboard an aircraft:

• Explosive munitions, fireworks, toy gun caps and flares.
• Gases. Flammable, non-flammable, deeply refrigerated aerosols, gas cylinders, lighter and butane gas hairbrush refills and liquid nitrogen.
• Flammable Liquids and Solids. Paints, thinners, solvents and firelighters. Passengers carrying charcoal as part of their baggage are also likely to carry firelighters and matches which are easily ignited.
• Magnetized materials, such as a compass.
• Teargas, such as self-protection mace canisters.
• Substances liable to spontaneous combustion and substances which on contact with water emit flammable gases.
• Oxidizing substances (such as bleaching powder and peroxides).
• Poisonous (toxic) and infectious substances.
• Radioactive materials.
• Corrosives (such as mercury, acids, alkalis and wet cell batteries).
• Magnetized materials and miscellaneous dangerous goods as listed in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.

Items that may be carried onboard an aircraft:

• Medicinal and toilet articles. In small quantities and should not exceed 2kg or 2 liters. Each single article should not exceed 0.5kg or 0.5 liters. This includes such items as hairsprays, perfumes and medicines containing alcohol.
• Alcoholic beverages. The maximum quantity of alcoholic beverages may not exceed 5 liters and my not exceed 70% alcohol volume.
• Carbon dioxide gas cylinders. For operation of mechanical limbs. Spare cylinders also permitted.
• Dry ice. A maximum of 2.5kg dry ice may be carried provided it is well ventilated to allow the escape of carbon dioxide gas.
• Medial / Clinical thermometer. For personal use only and must be in the protective case.
• Two small non-flammable gas cylinders. Fitted into a self-inflating life jacket plus two spare cartridges.
• Hair curlers containing hydrocarbon gas. No more than one per passenger or crew member, provided that the safety cover is securely fitted over the heating element. These hair curlers must not be used on board the aircraft at any time. Gas refills for such curlers are not permitted in checked or carry-on baggage.
• With the approval of the carrier as checked baggage only, small arms ammunition for sporting purposes, in quantities not exceeding 5kg per passenger for personal use, excluding ammunition with explosives or incendiary projectiles, both of which are totally prohibited for carriage by air. For carriage of quantities in excess of 5kg, check with the carrier.
• Personal smoking materials intended for use by an individual when carried on their person. However, lighter fuel and refills and lighters containing unabsorbed liquid fuel are not permitted.
• Cardiac pacemakers containing radioactive material such as plutonium batteries, when surgically implanted in medical patients.

Items that may only be carried in the Cabin of a Passenger Aircraft

• Pacemakers. Passengers with surgically implanted cardiac pacemakers powered by lithium batteries may travel onboard without restriction.
• Matches or a lighter. Only enough for personal use and must be carried on the person.
• Underwater torches or soldering iron. The heating element or the batteries must be removed.
• Mercurial barometer. Carried by a weather bureau official. Must be securely packed in leak-proof and puncture-resistant packing.

Items that may only be carried in the Hold of a Passenger Aircraft

• Ammunition. Cartridges in quantities not exceeding 5 kg per passenger for sporting purposes provided it is securely boxed.
• Aqualung air cylinders. Only empty cylinders used for water diving will be accepted.
• Battery operated wheelchairs wet and dry cell. Wheelchairs can be carried in the hold of all aircraft.

Items that are Forbidden on Passenger and Cargo Aircraft

• Security equipment such as attaché cases, cash boxes and cash bags incorporating dangerous goods, such as lithium batteries and/or pyrotechnic material, are totally forbidden.
• Disabling devices. Disabling devices such as mace, pepper spray, etc. containing an irritant or incapacitating substance is prohibited on the person, in checked baggage and cabin baggage.

Firearms and Ammunition (Subject to arrangement with Airlink prior to departure)

South African Laws prohibits the carriage of firearms and ammunition in checked or cabin baggage of a passenger, these firearms and ammunition must be produced to security staff for the correct handling. A maximum weight of 5kg of ammunition may be transported. As of 01 November 2007, NO handguns may be transported on any Airlink aircraft. However, hunting rifles and shotguns will be transported as cabin baggage but only to and from the following destinations:

1. OR Tambo International, Johannesburg;
2. Cape Town;
3. Durban;
4. Port Elizabeth;
5. East London;
6. Bloemfontein;
7. Polokwane;
8. Phalaborwa;
9. Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, Nelspruit;
10. Upington; and
11. Kimberley.

Rifles and shotguns will not be accepted as checked baggage, unless approved by us no less than 3 days before your flight. Rifles must be unloaded with the safety catch on and suitable packed and accompanied by all documents legally required by the countries of departure, destination and any stopovers. Carriage of ammunition is subject to ICAO and IATA regulations. Ammunition will never be carried in the cabin or cockpit of the aircraft.

Weapons such as, for example, antique firearms, swords, knives, toy or replica guns, bows and arrows and similar items may be accepted as checked baggage only at our discretion, subject to prior approval by us, but will not be permitted in the cabin or cockpit of the aircraft.

Pets and Seeing-Eye/Hearing and other Service Dogs

• For live animals (PETC) special arrangements with carrier and transportation in a container are required. Excess baggage rates are charged, whereby the total weight of the animal and container is counted and any unused part of the passenger’s own free allowance may not be taken into consideration.
• Transportation of PETC (dogs or cats) in the passenger cabin is NOT permitted by SA.
• All animals must be carried as AVIH or cargo in accordance with the IATA Live Animals Regulations.
• Seeing eye dogs accompanying blind passengers, dogs trained to assist deaf passengers or comparable service dogs are carried free of charge and may be accepted in the cabin, prior to arrangements made with the carrier.
• Carriage of dogs, cats and other pets is subject to Carrier’s approval. It is contingent on the fact that the animals are properly crated and accompanied by valid health and vaccination certificates, entry permits, and other documents require by countries of entry or transit. Airlink reserves the right to determine the manner of carriage and to limit the number of animals that may be carried on a flight.
• “Seeing-Eye” and service dogs, together with containers and food will be carried free of charge in addition to the normal free baggage allowance. A medical certificate must evidence the passenger’s dependence upon a hearing and other service dog.
• Acceptance for carriage of pets or “Seeing-Eye” dogs or other service dogs is subject to the conditions that passenger assumes full responsibility for such pet where carriage is not subject to the liability rules of the Convention.
• Airlink will have no liability in respect of any such animal not having all the necessary documents for entry into or passage through any country unless such damage has been caused by carrier’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. The passenger is liable for all damages which a pet might cause to others.
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