Air India allows a 7 kg cabin bag (55 × 40 × 20 cm) in Economy and Premium Economy, and 10 kg in Business and First — plus one personal item up to 3 kg. Checked baggage ranges from 15 kg to 25 kg in Economy depending on your fare (Value, Classic, or Flex), and up to 40 kg in Business and First.

Here's the full breakdown, verified against Air India's official policy.

Air India cabin baggage

You're also permitted one personal item — a handbag, laptop bag, camera, or similar — up to 3 kg and 40 × 30 × 20 cm, as long as it fits under the seat in front of you. This applies across all classes and both domestic and international flights.

Air India checked baggage: domestic flights

Air India's checked allowance depends on your fare bundle, not just your cabin class:

A few rules apply network-wide, regardless of fare:

• No single piece can exceed 32 kg — this is a handling-safety limit, not a fare restriction.

• Total combined dimensions (length + width + height) for Economy/Premium Economy checked baggage shouldn't exceed 272 cm across both pieces, with no single piece over 158 cm.

• Maharaja Club members (Air India's loyalty program) get additional allowance based on tier — Silver gets +5 kg, Gold and Platinum get +20 kg or an extra piece, depending on route type.

Air India checked baggage: international flights

International allowances vary significantly by destination and fare, using either the weight concept (a kg limit regardless of piece count) on most Asia, Gulf, and Africa routes, or the piece concept (a set number of bags, each capped at 23 kg) on routes to the US, Canada, Europe, and a few other long-haul destinations.

As a rough guide for Economy Value fares:

• Nepal, Maldives: 20 kg

• Gulf, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia: 25 kg

• US, Canada, Europe, Japan, South Korea: 1 piece up to 23 kg

Business and First class allowances run notably higher across every route, typically 35–45 kg or two pieces of 23–32 kg each.

A note on the Vistara merger

If you previously flew Vistara, all its aircraft and routes now operate fully under the Air India brand — the merger completed in November 2024. Vistara's old baggage rules no longer apply; the Air India allowances above are what governs your booking now, regardless of which airline you originally flew with. See our Vistara merger guide for the specific before-and-after comparison.

Choosing luggage that fits Air India's allowance

Air India's cabin limit shares the same 7 kg weight as IndiGo, but uses a different shell shape — 55×40×20cm rather than IndiGo's 55×35×25cm. A cabin bag built for IndiGo's standard may run slightly too tall for Air India's sizer. If you fly Air India regularly, check dimensions against our size charts before buying.

For checked baggage, WNTR's Check-In collection covers Medium and Large cases suited to the 15–25 kg range most Economy fares allow, including the Strunk Large and Dawn X Large. If you're traveling with family or on a longer trip, a luggage set covering cabin plus check-in sizes is usually more cost-effective than buying pieces separately.

Excess baggage: pre-book or pay at the airport?

If you know in advance that you'll exceed your fare's checked allowance, pre-booking extra weight through Manage Booking is consistently cheaper than paying at the check-in counter or gate. Airport rates typically run higher because they're priced as a convenience fee for last-minute decisions, while pre-booked excess weight is priced closer to a bulk rate. If you're traveling with wedding outfits, gifts, or equipment that regularly pushes you over your base allowance, it's worth checking the exact pre-booking rate for your route before you fly rather than assuming the airport price.

Domestic vs. international: which allowance applies on a connecting ticket

If your journey combines a domestic and an international Air India sector on the same ticket, the more generous international allowance applies to the entire journey — including the domestic leg. This only holds if both segments are booked on a single ticket; separate domestic and international tickets are each governed by their own allowance, even if you're connecting between them at the same airport.

What counts toward your checked weight

It's easy to underestimate how quickly checked baggage weight adds up, especially on a Value fare capped at 15 kg. Shoes and toiletries are the two most common culprits — a single pair of leather shoes can weigh close to a kilogram, and a full toiletry kit with liquids adds up fast. If you're close to your limit, weighing your bag at home on a bathroom scale before you leave saves a stressful recalculation at the check-in counter.