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Malaysia Airlines New Baggage Allowance For Domestic Flights

Malaysia Airlines New Baggage Allowance For Domestic Flights

MAS-new-baggage-allowance-domestic-flights Malaysia Airlines New Baggage Allowance For Domestic Flights

From 1st August 2018, the new Malaysia Airlines baggage allowance for domestic flights will be reduced. This comes as a shock for many local travellers who have been used to the free 30kg baggage allowance all this while. 
Malaysia Airlines has announced that they will reduce the baggage allowance by 10kg, bringing it down to 20kg from August 1st, and this applies to all economy class flights and tickets booked after the date. 
Malaysia Airlines Domestic Flight New Baggage Allowance

new-baggage-allowance-malaysia-airlines Malaysia Airlines New Baggage Allowance For Domestic Flights
Malaysia Airlines passengers still get complimentary perks

Since I do fly Malaysia Airlines regularly, the news comes to a shock for me, as all this while, I have enjoyed the free 30kg baggage allowance for my travels.

Now, I have to watch my luggage weight for my future MAS flights, hence I thought I might as well share this new information with anyone who flies regularly with Malaysia Airlines on domestic routes.

Malaysia Airlines claims that the revised baggage allowance was in line with other full-service airlines. This applies to all economy fares booked from 1 August 2018, and existing bookings are still exempted. 

The main reason for Malaysia Airlines new baggage allowances is to ensure competitive prices with the issue of increasing fuel prices worldwide. 
The airline also commented that passengers will get the complimentary 7kg cabin baggage allowance, in-flight entertainment and the in-flight meals. Business and First Class passengers have no change in their allowances.

malaysia-airlines-baggage-check-in-counter Malaysia Airlines New Baggage Allowance For Domestic Flights
One of the Malaysia Airlines check-in counters at KLIA

Current Baggage Allowance for Malaysia Airlines

Currently, the allowance for check-in baggage is 30kg per passenger, and the new revised MAS baggage allowance is 20kg effective from 1 August 2018.

For Malaysia Airlines cabin baggage allowances;

  • Economy Class passengers:  One cabin baggage with a maximum weight of 7kg
  • Business Class passengers: Two pieces of cabin baggage weighing a total of 14kg.
  • Cabin Luggage Measurements: Each cabin bag must not exceed L36cm x W23cm x H56cm.

For more information, visit the Malaysia Airlines website, as you can contact the customer service for your questions. 

mas-domestic-flight-baggage-allowance Malaysia Airlines New Baggage Allowance For Domestic Flights
Passengers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Airlines That Fly Domestic Routes in Malaysia

In Malaysia, other airlines that operate domestic flights are AirAsia, Malindo Air or Batik Air Malaysia and FireFly Airlines. Each of these airlines also offers different baggage allowances as stated below;
1. Firefly Airlines
  • Domestic and International Check-In Baggage Allowance – 20kg
  • Additional 5kg, 10kg, and 15kg can be purchased online, call centre or at sales offices
  • Cabin Baggage – One piece of hand baggage per passenger
  • Weighs 7kg or less
  • More information on Firefly Airlines Baggage Fees
firefly-baggage-allowance-fees Malaysia Airlines New Baggage Allowance For Domestic Flights
Please note that the Firefly Airline B737 aircraft 15kg baggage is now 20kg and free

2. Malindo Air (Batik Air Malaysia)

Check-In Baggage for Malindo Air
  • Domestic & International Flights  
  • Business Class – 40kg (for Boeing aircraft)
  • Economy Class – 25kg (for Boeing aircraft) excluding DAC & CGP, 35kg
  • Economy Class – 15kg (for ATR aircraft)
Malindo Air Excess Baggage Fees

Any excess baggage fees will be charged at the check-in counter, and this will cost you extra money and time so please double check your baggage weight before checking in. 
  • International Flights – RM48.00 per kilogram 
  • Domestic Flights – RM39.20 per kilogram
malindo-air-baggage-allowance Malaysia Airlines New Baggage Allowance For Domestic Flights
Malindo Air’s baggage allowance

Cabin Baggage for Malindo Air
Business Class
  • Each passenger (2) two pieces of cabin baggage AND 1 laptop bag OR 1 handbag on-board
  • Cabin baggage shall not exceed 36 x 56 x 23 cm 
  • Weighs no more than 10kg.

Economy Class

  • Each passenger (1) one piece of cabin baggage AND 1 laptop bag OR 1 handbag on-board
  • Cabin baggage shall not exceed 36 x 56 x 23 cm
  • Weighs no more than 7kg.
For more information on the baggage allowances or sporting equipment luggage, visit the Malindo Air website. 
airasia-baggage-allowance Malaysia Airlines New Baggage Allowance For Domestic Flights
AirAsia’s cabin baggage allowance

3. AirAsia 

You should know by now that there is no free check-in baggage for any AirAsia flight. Everything is charged and passengers have options to choose the weight they want to buy.

You usually purchase your baggage when you buy your flight tickets online. And if you suddenly have access luggage, you can easily buy extra baggage before your flight.

The last thing you want is to be charged at the check-in counter for excess luggage, as this can run into the hundreds.

AirAsia Domestic Check-In Baggage Allowance 

  • 15kg, 20kg, 25kg, 30kg, 40kg

AirAsia International Check-In Baggage Allowance

  • 20kg, 25kg, 30kg, 40kg

AirAsia Cabin Baggage or Hand Luggage Allowance
Passengers on AirAsia are allowed to carry on board 2 pieces of cabin baggage comprising of either:

  • One Cabin Baggage: Not exceeding 56cm (H) X 36cm (W) X 23cm (D)
  • One Laptop Bag or One Handbag or One Small Bag: Not exceeding 40cm (H) X 30cm (W) X 10cm (D)

The total weight of both pieces must not exceed 7kg. For more information on baggage information like sports bags or golf bags, please visit the AirAsia website.

domestic-flight-malaysia-baggage-allowance Malaysia Airlines New Baggage Allowance For Domestic Flights
Passengers on Malaysia Airlines at the domestic check-in lines

Final Thoughts



For those planning to fly locally with Malaysia Airlines from 1 August 2018, please take note of the new revised domestic flight baggage allowances of 20kg for MAS.

You will be required to pay for any extra weight while checking in. This means you will have to pay the excess weight at another counter, then come back to your check-in counter to show that you have paid for the access luggage.

If you are rushing, this will not work in your favour and you will end up being frustrated. I hope this information will come in handy for the local frequent flyers on Malaysia Airlines. If you think someone should know about this news, please share this article and thank you.

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SayangDeCat

By contrast, AirAsia has explicitly stated that passengers travelling on the same PNR are ALLOWED to combine (pool) their baggage allowance.

https://support.airasia.com/s/article/Can-I-combine-my-checked-baggage-en?language=en_GB

Compare and contrast this so-called low-cost airine vs a "full-service airline" such as MH which apparently disallows pooling of baggage allowances for passengers on the same itinerary.

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SayangDeCat

Another aspect that's slipped in "under the radar" which has not been commented on AFAIK, is that POOLING of luggage allowance is NO LONGER ALLOWED.

Don't be caught out – if this is strictly enforced, each passenger has to stick to his/her own weight and no more. Or alternatively, be charged on the spot for excess baggage.

For example, say that two passengers travelling on Economy Basic Domestic under one itinerary (PNR) are allowed 20kg checked baggage allowance each. Under these conditions, checking in three pieces weighing 15kg, 15kg and 10kg would be disallowed, or excess baggage charges may apply. In this case, one passenger would have exceeded his/her allowance of 20kg (viz. 15kg + 10kg = 25kg), while the other was within his/her limits (viz. 15kg) but overall, the two passengers have observed the "spirit of the agreement" in limiting their baggage within their overall allowance of 40kg.

Please see https://mhcare.malaysiaairlines.com/faq/s/article/How-much-is-my-free-baggage-allowance?language=en_US

MH Call Centre staff point me to this FAQ issued of 11-Apr-2019, which apparently according to their convoluted logic states that because the words "my", and "you" are used, it implies that the baggage allowance rules apply to a single person (i.e. each passenger) only. Yet within the same article, the plural nouns & plural possessives are used, with "passengers", "themselves" and "their" also appearing in the text. So, which is it to be?? To imply that part of it refers to the singular (per passenger), while other parts simply do not is plainly "tortuous language" and might be regarded as being ambiguous at best and splitting hairs at worst.

Apparently, this FAQ is said to somehow even SUPERSEDE the MAB General Conditions of Carriage (1-Jun-2017), which is the legal and binding document that universally governs the carriage of passengers & baggage, and is taken globally to be the basis for any dispute. In 9.2.2, it specifically talks about "… Baggage which does not belong to you and which you have pooled with your own Baggage", which gives a clear indication that pooling is allowable.

Once again, either it's something that's snuck in quietly, wonder why not announced or explained clearly, or poor wording/grammar has caused this confusion.

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