How to plan excess baggage for camera and production kit
- Last reviewed
- 6 min read
- For production crews
The short answer
Plan excess baggage by weighing and listing every case first, then asking the airline in writing what it will accept and what it will charge. Most airlines cap a single checked bag at around 32kg, so heavy flight cases often have to be split or sent as freight. Batteries, drones and spare power go in the cabin within watt-hour limits, and airline liability for checked baggage is far below the value of professional kit, so insure it separately.
Key takeaways
- Airlines set a maximum weight per bag. British Airways, for example, accepts no checked bag over 32kg, and Finnair charges a heavy bag fee for instruments between 23kg and 32kg.
- Spare lithium batteries must travel in the cabin, never in checked baggage. Batteries of 100Wh to 160Wh need airline approval and anything over 160Wh cannot go in passenger baggage.
- Ask the airline for its excess baggage rules and prices in advance and get its answer in writing, because rules and fees differ by airline and route.
- Airline liability for checked baggage on international flights is capped at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger, so professional kit needs separate insurance.
- Past a certain volume, air freight can cost less than excess baggage and avoids per-bag limits.
What counts as excess baggage for camera kit?
Excess baggage is anything beyond the allowance in the fare, whether that is extra pieces, heavier pieces or oversize pieces. Airlines define each differently. Production kit usually triggers the heavy and oversize categories first, because hard flight cases for lenses, lighting and sound are bulky before they are loaded.
Two examples show the range. British Airways accepts no checked bag over 32kg. Finnair's standard limit for a checked musical instrument is 23kg and 90 x 75 x 45cm, with instruments up to 32kg or 190 x 75 x 65cm accepted for a heavy bag charge, and larger items arranged with customer service before travel. Camera cases are not instruments, but the pattern is typical: one standard limit, a higher limit for a fee, and a hard stop above that. Check the airline's own page for your flight, since the numbers vary.
What can travel in the cabin and what must go in the hold?
The cabin is for the kit that is hardest to replace and the items that must not go in the hold. The CAA and IATA both say spare lithium batteries and power banks must not be in checked baggage.
| Battery rating | What the CAA says |
|---|---|
| Up to 100Wh | Typical of phones, laptops and cameras. Carry in the cabin. |
| 100Wh to 160Wh | Airline approval is required. |
| Over 160Wh | Not allowed in passenger baggage. Must be shipped as dangerous goods cargo. |
- Cabin: camera bodies, key lenses, drives and media cards, spare batteries in protective pouches, and any drone with its batteries in LiPo-safe bags.
- Hold: stands, cases, grip, cables and anything sturdy and replaceable, packed in hard cases within the weight limit.
- Gate checks: if a cabin bag is taken to the hold at the gate, remove batteries and lithium-powered devices first.
Cabin baggage allowances differ between airlines and fares, so check the size and weight rules before you decide what goes where. Our guide to production crew travel and equipment has the full battery guidance and a manifest approach.
How do you plan the baggage step by step?
- Make a kit list with the weight and dimensions of every case, using real scale readings rather than estimates.
- Mark each item as cabin, hold or freight, and count how many hold pieces you have against the total allowance for the whole group.
- Spread weight across crew allowances where each person's fare includes a bag, rather than paying per extra kilo on one person's booking.
- Ask the airline in writing what it will accept, the maximum size and weight per piece, and the price for each extra piece, then keep the reply.
- Pre-book where the airline offers it. Many airlines price excess baggage lower online than at the airport, but not all do, so check.
- Label every case with the production name, a contact number and the carnet item numbers, and photograph each packed case.
- Weigh again at packing so the check-in desk does not find a surprise.
If the kit goes outside the UK and returns, it may also need a customs document. See production crew travel and equipment for ATA Carnets.
When is air freight better than excess baggage?
Excess baggage is simple when the amount is small and the kit is needed the moment the crew lands. As volume grows, per-piece fees add up, hold space on smaller aircraft runs out and single-piece limits get in the way. Freight takes heavier and bulkier items but is released after the cargo flight and customs clearance, so it suits kit needed a day or more after arrival.
Freight is usually priced on chargeable weight, which is the higher of actual weight and volume weight. A common air freight formula divides length x width x height in centimetres by 6,000, so a case measuring 100 x 50 x 40cm counts as about 33.3kg even if it weighs less. Carriers can use their own divisors, so ask the forwarder how it will calculate your quote. Our guide to air freight or courier for production kit covers the options.
What does the airline owe you if kit is lost or damaged?
Arrange equipment cover for the whole route, including time in the hold and in vehicles, and read the exclusions. See how to insure production equipment abroad.
How Roamly can help
Roamly Travel handles baggage and special-equipment requests as part of group flights, and plans logistics such as kit transfers and vehicle hire for production crews. Estimate costs with the free group travel calculator, or contact us with your kit list and flights.
Sources
- CAA: Pack right for a safe flight
- IATA: Travelling with batteries
- Finnair: Can I travel with my musical instrument?
- British Airways: Baggage essentials
- ICAO: International air travel liability limits
- Rohlig: Air freight calculation
- GOV.UK: Apply for an ATA Carnet
General guidance only, checked against the sources above on 30 October 2026. Entry rules, airline policies and official advice change, so confirm the current position with the linked source before you travel.