Every season the same questions land in our inbox before departure: how many kilograms can I check in, does the stroller count, what happens if the suitcase is damaged, and what do I do with my luggage when the room has to be vacated at noon but the flight leaves at three in the morning. The good news is that baggage rules on charter flights are simpler than on low cost carriers, and once you know a few numbers, packing stops being a source of stress. Here is everything we tell our travelers, based on the actual programs for Hurghada and Antalya.
The basic rule: 23 plus 8
On charter flights in our programs each passenger checks in one piece of luggage up to 23 kg and carries hand luggage up to 8 kg into the cabin. This applies per passenger, not per booking, so a couple travels with 46 kg in the hold, which is far more than most people ever use for a week on all inclusive. There is no strict rule that the 23 kg must be a single suitcase of a particular shape, but one solid piece is the safest choice for check-in. Weigh your suitcase at home; a bathroom scale is enough, and it saves you from repacking at the counter in front of a queue.
Baggage for babies and small children
Children under two years of age travel without their own seat on the plane and in the transfer, but they are entitled to 10 kg of checked baggage, and the program explicitly mentions a suitcase, a stroller and similar items. In practice the stroller is checked at the counter or at the aircraft door, depending on the airport. Since a baby travels on your lap, pack the flight essentials, food, diapers and a change of clothes, into your own 8 kg cabin allowance and keep it light.
What belongs in your hand luggage
Charter flight times are confirmed only 24 to 48 hours before departure, and schedules can shift. That is why your cabin bag should hold everything you cannot afford to lose or wait for: documents, medicines in original packaging, phone chargers, one change of underwear and swimwear. If your suitcase arrives late, you can still be in the pool an hour after check-in. Liquids in the cabin follow standard airport security rules, so keep bottles under 100 ml in a transparent bag.
Packing for a night return flight
The Hurghada program is a good example of why packing strategy matters. Rooms are vacated by noon on the last day, the transfer to the airport leaves in the late evening and the plane takes off at 03:05 local time, landing in Belgrade around 05:30. That means your suitcase is packed and stored in the hotel luggage room for half a day while you still swim and have dinner. Pack a small day bag with swimwear, a towel, toiletries and the clothes for the flight, and put everything else in the checked suitcase in the morning. You will board the night flight comfortable instead of creased and damp.
If a suitcase is damaged or lost
It happens rarely, but it happens. The rule from every program is the same: report damage or loss immediately to the airport baggage service, before you leave the arrivals hall, because the airline carries the responsibility and the claim starts with their report. Take a photo of the suitcase before travel and keep the baggage tag receipt until you are home. A cheap luggage strap in a bright color makes your bag easy to spot and harder to open by accident.
Small habits that pay off
Be at the airport two and a half hours before departure; charter check-in counters open early and close strictly. Leave two or three kilograms of reserve for the return trip, because souvenirs, sweets from the bazaar and a bottle of local wine add up quickly. Vacuum compression bags double the space for light summer clothes. And if you are still choosing where all this packing knowledge gets used, browse our current offers on the packages page, from Egypt to Turkey there is a departure almost every week of the summer.
