Locate Your Luggage: Austrian Air's Bag-Tracking System

Austrian Airlines provides a range of services for passengers travelling with baggage. The airline offers a free baggage allowance, with the specific size, weight, and number of permitted bags depending on the fare, route, and frequent flyer status. Passengers can also purchase additional bags during check-in, with varying prices depending on the route and travel class. For sports equipment and special baggage, there may be surcharges or discounts depending on the type of equipment and the fare. Austrian Airlines also provides services for passengers with limited mobility and unaccompanied children, as well as options for checking in bags the day before the trip and having bags picked up from home and checked in by a partner service.

Carry-on baggage restrictions

When flying with Austrian Airlines, the number of carry-on baggage items you can bring depends on the travel class booked. Passengers in Premium Economy Class can bring one item of carry-on baggage, while those in Business Class can bring one or two items. The maximum dimensions for carry-on baggage are 55 x 40 x 23 cm, and the weight must not exceed 8 kg. It's important to note that your carry-on baggage may need to be checked in if it exceeds the permitted weight and size, resulting in additional charges.

In addition to your carry-on baggage, you can bring one personal item, such as a handbag, a travel pouch, or a laptop bag, with a maximum size of 40 x 30 x 10 cm. This is where you should keep your personal documents, medication, and valuables, as carry-on baggage may sometimes need to be stowed in the cargo hold due to aircraft type.

If you're travelling with an infant under two years old, you can bring a carrycot, an approved child seat, or a completely foldable travel pram with a maximum weight of 10 kg. "Pocket buggies" are also allowed within your carry-on baggage allowance.

When it comes to liquids, you can carry containers with a capacity of up to 100 millilitres in your carry-on baggage. These must be packed in a transparent, resealable one-litre plastic bag, and only one bag per person is allowed. Liquids include pastes, lotions, mixtures of liquids and solids, as well as the contents of pressure containers like toothpaste, hair gel, drinks, and perfume. Medication and special foods, such as baby food, are exempt from this restriction but must be presented at the security control. Duty-free items must be kept in the sealed safety bag provided at the point of sale.

It's important to be aware of prohibited items when packing your carry-on baggage. According to Commission Regulation (EC) 2015/1998, passengers are not allowed to bring certain articles into security-restricted areas or on board an aircraft. This includes firearms, stunning devices, sharp objects, workmen's tools, blunt instruments, explosives, and incendiary substances.

If you're unsure about any specific item, it's always best to check with Austrian Airlines directly to avoid any issues at the airport.

Checked baggage allowances

Austrian Airlines allows passengers a certain amount of free checked baggage, but the allowance depends on the flight route and the class of service booked. For example, Economy Light tickets do not include a free baggage allowance, but passengers can book a checked bag for an additional fee.

On European routes, passengers are allowed one bag per person, with a maximum weight of 23kg and total dimensions of 158cm. The same allowance applies to intercontinental routes, but the weight limit is higher at 32kg.

Any checked baggage that exceeds the allowable weight limit will be subject to excess baggage fees, which depend on the flight route. Pieces of checked baggage that exceed the maximum weight allowance of 32kg will not be accepted at check-in. Baggage exceeding the total dimensions of 158cm may be considered for special transport, but the airline must be notified in advance.

Austrian Airlines permits a wide range of sporting equipment and special baggage on flights, as long as the baggage allowance shown on the ticket is not exceeded in terms of the number of items or weight. Some items may be considered oversized or overweight and may be subject to additional charges.

Sports equipment rules

Austrian Airlines will carry your sports equipment for free as long as it does not exceed the baggage allowance permitted by your ticket. This includes skiing, snowboarding, surfing, or golf equipment.

If your sports bag exceeds your ticket's baggage allowance, there will be a fee to pay, starting at €70, depending on your journey and the item you are travelling with. You will also be charged a ticket handling fee of between €10-20.

• Scuba diving equipment: €60 for two pieces of luggage, each weighing up to 32kg.
• Surfboard or kiteboard: €60 per piece, up to 32kg.
• Windsurfing equipment: €90 for two pieces of luggage, each weighing up to 32kg.
• Golf equipment: €100 for a golf bag with clubs, balls, tees, and shoes, with a maximum dimension of 220cm.
• Bicycles: €100 with a maximum dimension of 280cm.

If you are intending to travel with sports equipment, you must contact Austrian Airlines by email or telephone in advance, as they only have limited space for sports equipment. Failure to do this will result in a fee for transporting sports equipment.

Dangerous goods

The following items are forbidden in both checked baggage and carry-on baggage:

• Containers with flammable liquids, such as paints, varnishes, thinners, cleaning agents, solvents, or petrol.
• Containers with non-flammable paints.
• Highly flammable materials and articles, such as grill lighters, fuel paste, butane or propane gas bottles, dry spirit, fuel, or charcoal.
• Poisonous, toxic, or infectious materials and substances, such as mercury, rat poison, insecticide, arsenic, cyanide, or bacteria and virus cultures or infectious laboratory samples.
• Caustic and corrosive substances, such as acids, alkalis, bases, wet batteries, rust protection or rust removal substances, sulphur dioxide solutions, or chemical sets.
• Radioactive materials and objects.
• Substances that emit flammable gases upon contact with water, such as carbide.
• Carbon dioxide cartridges (CO2) for mineral water treatment over 50 ml.
• Combustion engines and petrol-powered equipment and tools, such as lawnmowers, chainsaws, or emergency generators.
• Flammable, non-flammable, refrigerated, and toxic propellants.
• Fragile items such as televisions, air conditioners, refrigerators, or PC screens.

The following items are forbidden in carry-on baggage but permitted in checked baggage:

• Stunning equipment and devices for shocking, such as stun guns, tasers, and stun batons, or equipment for stunning and killing livestock.
• Disabling and incapacitating chemicals or substances, such as "knock-out drops", mace, pepper sprays, capsicum sprays, tear gas, acid sprays, and animal repellent sprays.
• Lighters in the shape of a weapon, as well as any electro-impulse weapons (e.g. stun guns or tasers) and weapons with explosive or flammable projectiles.
• Camping stoves and spare cartridges for camping stoves.

The following items are permitted in carry-on baggage but forbidden in checked baggage:

Security-type attaché cases and cash boxes/bags.

The following items are permitted in both carry-on and checked baggage:

• Perfume and eau de cologne.
• Medical items containing alcohol, such as nasal sprays containing alcohol.
• Hand sanitiser containing alcohol.
• Non-toxic and non-flammable spray cans/aerosols for sport or personal domestic use in Hazard Class 2.2 without subsidiary hazard.
• Alcoholic beverages with between 24% and 70% alcohol by volume. The consumption of such beverages is forbidden on board.
• Matches or lighters for personal use, filled with liquified gas, and not containing any other unabsorbed liquid fuel.
• Non-toxic and non-flammable gas in Hazard Class 2.2 without subsidiary hazard.
• Oxygen gas cylinders or air cylinders in manufacturer-approved outer packaging that protects the outlet valve.
• Life jackets and other self-inflating safety equipment with a release mechanism that uses gas.
• Medical or clinical thermometers or barometers containing mercury for personal use, packed in a protective case.
• Pacemakers or other medical devices containing radioisotopes, including those powered by lithium batteries, implanted or attached externally to the person.

The following items are permitted in carry-on baggage but require transport approval for checked baggage:

• Firearms and ammunition.
• Avalanche rescue backpacks.
• Diving lamps, soldering irons, or other heat-generating items.

The following items are forbidden for transport:

• Fireworks, flares, and explosives.
• Smoke canisters and smoke cartridges.
• Explosives and incendiary materials, as well as explosive and incendiary devices, fireworks, distress flares, party poppers, Christmas crackers, and other pyrotechnic items.
• Blasting caps, detonators, and fuses.
• Dynamite, gunpowder, and plastic explosives.
• Mines, grenades, or other explosive military items.
• Magnetised materials designated UN2807.
• Oxidizing substances and organic peroxides.

The following items are permitted in carry-on baggage but not in checked baggage:

• Fuel cell systems and spare fuel cartridges for powering portable electronic devices, such as cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, and camcorders.
• Insulated packaging containing refrigerated liquid nitrogen (dry shipper) completely absorbed in porous material.

Delayed, damaged or missing bags

Delayed Bags

If your bag is delayed, you must report it immediately online or at the baggage tracing office at the airport. You can check the status of your delayed bag using your reference number on the baggage status page, where you can also subscribe to baggage status updates. The baggage tracing office will handle the processing of your report, and if your bag is located, it will be forwarded to your destination airport. Once your bag arrives, it will undergo internal procedures and customs clearance before being delivered to the address you provided or made available for collection at the airport. It is recommended to attach labels with your home and holiday addresses, use distinctive stickers or luggage belts, and only pack approved items to facilitate identification and security checks.

Missing Bags

In the unfortunate event that your bag cannot be found within five days of reporting the delay, a detailed description of your bag and its contents is required to initiate a detailed search. You can provide this information on the baggage status page, which will be automatically accessible five days after reporting the delay.

Damaged Bags

If your bag is damaged during carriage, you must report it immediately online or at the Austrian baggage tracing office ("Lost and Found" at the airport). If you do not notice the damage until after you arrive home or at your hotel, you must report it within seven days of receiving your checked baggage. Once you have reported the damage, you will receive a confirmation email with a reference number, and Dolfi1920 GmbH, Austrian Airlines' service provider, will assess the claim and determine possible compensation, which may include repairing, replacing, or compensating for the current value of the bag.

General Recommendations

To avoid complications, it is advised to carry important items such as valuables, medicines, documents, and keys in your hand luggage. Additionally, always ensure that you only pack approved items in your checked baggage to prevent any issues with security control.

Frequently asked questions