Malaysia Airlines Baggage Fees and Policy (And Tips to Cover the Expenses)
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The checked baggage allowance for Malaysia Airlines depends on the fare type, so be sure to check what your allowance is – especially for economy where there are 4 fare types for international flights.
Excess luggage is charged per kilogram and is on the pricey side, but thankfully you can save 20% when booking online or with the call center.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Malaysia Airlines Carry-On Allowance
1 personal item: FREE
Standard carry-on bag:
- Economy: 1 FREE bag up to 15 pounds (7 kg)
- Business Class and Business Suite: 2 FREE bags with a combined weight of up to 31 pounds (14 kg)
Size Restrictions
- Personal: No size limit disclosed but Malaysia Airlines states that 1 of the following items would be accepted: camera bag, laptop bag, handbag, or briefcase
- Carry-On: 22 x 14 x 9.5 inches (56 x 36 x 23 cm)
Lap Infant Carry-On Policy
- Passengers traveling with an infant may bring 1 of the following items into the cabin (subject to space), in addition to their carry-on allowance: a diaper bag up to 11 pounds (5 kg,) small carry-cot, or collapsible stroller (up to 22 pounds (10 kg)).
Stroller Check Policy
- Passengers traveling with an infant may check a stroller at the check-in counter or at the aircraft door.
Malaysia Airlines Checked Baggage Allowance
Individual checked bags may not exceed maximum linear dimensions of 62 inches (158 cm) including handles and wheels. There is no limit to the number of pieces you may check provided they do not exceed your weight allowance, however, a single piece must not weigh more than 70 pounds (32 kg).
Flights Within Malaysia
- Economy Lite: 0 bags
- Economy Basic: 44 pounds (20 kg)
- Economy Flex: 55 pounds (25 kg)
- Business Class: 88 pounds (40 kg)
International Flights
- Economy Promo: 44 pounds (20 kg)
- Economy Basic: 55 pounds (25 kg)
- Economy Smart: 66 pounds (30 kg)
- Economy Flex: 77 pounds (35 kg)
- Business Class: 88 pounds (40 kg)
- Business Suite: 110 pounds (50 kg)
For Medina and Jeddah, the free baggage allowance is 66 pounds (30 kg) for all economy fare types.
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Additional/Excess Baggage Fees
Additional baggage is charged per kilogram for weight exceeding the free allowance.
- Zone 1: Malaysia (Peninsular, Sabah, and Sarawak)*
- Zone 2: Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia (Denpasar, Surabaya, Kuala Namu), China, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh
- Zone 3: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia (Jakarta), Japan, Republic of Korea
- Zone 4: Australia and New Zealand
- Zone 5: United Kingdom
| From/To | Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | $5 | $8 | $14 | $20 | $28 |
| Zone 2 | $8 | $16 | $22 | $28 | $36 |
| Zone 3 | $14 | $22 | $28 | $34 | $42 |
| Zone 4 | $20 | $28 | $34 | $40 | $48 |
| Zone 5 | $28 | $36 | $42 | $48 | $56 |
*Passengers traveling within Malaysia on a government warrant/order will be charged a reduced rate of $3 per kilogram for excess baggage.
Malaysia Airlines states that if luggage is oversized, then fees may be payable, but the airline does not disclose the maximum size restrictions for checked baggage.
For baggage fees related to special luggage (sporting equipment, musical instruments, etc.) please refer to Malaysia Airlines’ FAQs.
Can I Pre-Pay for Baggage?
Malaysia Airlines does allow passengers the ability to pre-pay luggage – up to 24 hours before the flight departs – to receive 20% off the airport prices.
These are the ways you can pre-pay:
- Log-in to your booking on the Malaysia Airlines website
- Download and log-in to the airline’s app
- Contact the Malaysia Airlines call center at +60 3 7843 3000
Credit Cards That Wipe Away Your Baggage Fees
Malaysia Airlines doesn’t offer a U.S. credit card that waives bag fees, so you’ll have to look elsewhere to offset your fees. Thankfully you don’t need to look further than the Capital One® Venture® Rewards card.
This card has a nifty feature called the Purchase Eraser. You can use this feature to wipe away any travel expense — including baggage fees — at 1 cent per point.
Just charge the Malaysia Airlines baggage fee to your Venture card and mark it for erasing in the Purchase Eraser tool, then you’ll pay nothing out of pocket.
Recommended Cards
| Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card - This no annual fee card comes with a 20,000 mile welcome bonus (worth $200) once you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months. When you use your card for travel purchases (e.g. baggage fees), use your miles to pay off all, or part of, your statement! This is why we like this card. |
| Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card - The "big brother" card to the VentureOne® with a larger 50,000 welcome bonus (worth $500), when you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months. |
Exclusions and Waivers
Malaysia Airlines Enrich members benefit from additional baggage allowance:
- Silver: 11 pounds (5 kg) additional weight
- Gold: 50% more free baggage allowance
- Platinum: 100% more free baggage allowance
To see more airline baggage fees and policies, click here.
