Traveller reference
Airline guides
Plain explanations of how 32 major airlines handle baggage, check-in and boarding — the things people actually search for, written so they stay true rather than going stale.
Travelaidnow is an independent travel agency. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of any airline listed here. Each page links to the carrier's official site, and anything that affects your trip should be confirmed there, because policies change without notice.
Why we do not publish baggage figures
Allowances, fees and fare-tier rules change several times a year and differ by route, cabin and status. A page quoting a specific weight or fee is wrong for some readers the day it is written and wrong for everyone eventually. So these guides explain how each airline's system is organised — whether it counts bags or kilos, which fare tier restricts what — and send you to the airline for the number that applies to your ticket. That is less satisfying than a table, and considerably more useful at the airport.
Star Alliance
The largest of the three alliances. Status earned with one member generally brings priority and baggage benefits across the rest.
AC · Canada
Air Canada
Full-service · YYZ, YVR, YUL
Read the guideAI · India
Air India
Full-service · DEL, BOM
Read the guideNH · Japan
ANA (All Nippon Airways)
Full-service · HND, NRT
Read the guideAV · Colombia
Avianca
Full-service · BOG, SAL, MDE
Read the guideCM · Panama
Copa Airlines
Full-service · PTY
Read the guideLH · Germany
Lufthansa
Full-service · FRA, MUC
Read the guideSQ · Singapore
Singapore Airlines
Full-service · SIN
Read the guideLX · Switzerland
Swiss International Air Lines
Full-service · ZRH, GVA
Read the guideTK · Türkiye
Turkish Airlines
Full-service · IST
Read the guideUA · United States
United Airlines
Full-service · ORD, DEN, IAH
Read the guideoneworld
Status and benefits carry across members, which matters if you split your flying between a US carrier and a European or Asian one.
AS · United States
Alaska Airlines
Full-service · SEA, PDX, ANC
Read the guideAA · United States
American Airlines
Full-service · DFW, CLT, ORD
Read the guideBA · United Kingdom
British Airways
Full-service · LHR, LGW
Read the guideIB · Spain
Iberia
Full-service · MAD
Read the guideJL · Japan
Japan Airlines
Full-service · HND, NRT
Read the guideQF · Australia
Qantas
Full-service · SYD, MEL, BNE
Read the guideQR · Qatar
Qatar Airways
Full-service · DOH
Read the guideSkyTeam
Members share the Flying Blue and SkyMiles ecosystems in places, and several operate joint transatlantic businesses.
AM · Mexico
Aeroméxico
Full-service · MEX, GDL, MTY
Read the guideAF · France
Air France
Full-service · CDG, ORY
Read the guideDL · United States
Delta Air Lines
Full-service · ATL, DTW, MSP
Read the guideKL · Netherlands
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Full-service · AMS
Read the guideVS · United Kingdom
Virgin Atlantic
Full-service · LHR, MAN
Read the guideIndependent carriers
These carriers sit outside the three global alliances, so elite status earned elsewhere usually brings no benefit on them.
EI · Ireland
Aer Lingus
Full-service · DUB
Read the guideDM · Dominican Republic
Arajet
Ultra low-cost · SDQ, PUJ
Read the guideEK · United Arab Emirates
Emirates
Full-service · DXB
Read the guideF9 · United States
Frontier Airlines
Ultra low-cost · DEN, MCO, LAS
Read the guideB6 · United States
JetBlue Airways
Low-cost · JFK, BOS, FLL
Read the guideLA · Chile
LATAM Airlines
Full-service · SCL, LIM, GRU
Read the guideWN · United States
Southwest Airlines
Low-cost · DAL, MDW, DEN
Read the guideNK · United States
Spirit Airlines
Ceased operations 2 May 2026
Read the guideVB · Mexico
Viva Aerobus
Ultra low-cost · MTY, CUN, GDL
Read the guideY4 · Mexico
Volaris
Ultra low-cost · GDL, MEX, TIJ
Read the guideResearching the journey rather than the carrier?
Our route guides cover flight times and when demand peaks, the airport guides cover terminals and getting into the city, and the destination guides cover seasons and entry requirements.