🧳 Luggage Weight Allowance Calculator
Enter your bag's weight to convert between kg and lb and check it against typical airline allowance tiers. Always confirm the exact limit with your airline.
One conversion, three tiers
The tool converts your figure both ways and then compares the kilogram value against the three limits airlines cluster around:
lb = kg × 2.20462 kg = lb / 2.20462
carry-on 10 kg / 22 lb
economy 23 kg / 51 lb
business 32 kg / 71 lbA 21 kg bag is 46.3 lb: comfortably inside the checked tiers, and 11.0 kg over a cabin allowance. Watch the rounding at the top end - a US airline's 50 lb limit is 22.68 kg, so a bag weighed at exactly 23.0 kg abroad is already half a kilo over.
Where carriers actually differ
- Cabin bags are weighed nearly everywhere but the US. American, Delta and United publish a size, no weight. Lufthansa allows 8 kg, Emirates and Singapore 7 kg, and they check at the gate.
- Piece versus weight concept. North American routes count bags; many Asian and Middle Eastern fares give you a pooled total - 30 kg spread across however many bags you like, each still under 32 kg.
- 32 kg is a hard stop, not a fee. Above it a bag is refused outright on handler safety grounds, whatever you offer to pay.
- Excess fees often beat a second bag. Overweight charges of $100-200 long-haul regularly cost more than adding another piece.
Frequently asked questions
How many pounds is 23 kg?
50.7 lb. That is why 23 kg and "50 lb" are quoted as the same allowance even though they are not - the US figure is slightly stricter, at 22.68 kg.
Do airlines weigh carry-on bags?
Outside North America, often. European, Gulf and Asian carriers set cabin limits of 7-10 kg and weigh at the gate on full flights. US carriers enforce the sizer, not the scale.
What happens if my bag is over the weight limit?
Between the standard limit and 32 kg you pay an overweight fee, typically $100-200 long-haul. Over 32 kg it is refused outright and must be repacked or shipped as cargo.