Malaysia Airlines has expanded their fare groupings to include a new no-bag fare code, applicable for bookings made from 8th April 2019. Bookings made before this date will continue to follow the allowance on the booked itinerary.
The new no-bag fare code is only applicable to a single class of Domestic fare, branded as “Economy Lite”. This will appeal to to those making short trips with no need for checked luggage. The changes do not affect either Business Suite or Business Class bookings, whether International or Domestic.
New baggage allowance structure
The new Fare brands and their baggage weight allowance give a wider choice to travellers. The letter codes are applied when the bookings are made and can be seen on the booking screen.
International**
| Cabin/Fare Brand | Total Combined Weight |
| Business Suite | 50kg (110 lbs) |
| Business Class | 40 kg (88 lbs) |
| Economy Flex* | 35 kg (77 lbs) |
| Economy Smart* | 30 kg (66 lbs) |
| Economy Basic* | 25 kg (55 lbs) |
| Economy Promo* | 20 kg (44 lbs) |
Domestic (Within Malaysia)
| Cabin/Fare Brand | Total Combined Weight |
| Business Class | 40 kg (88 lbs) |
| Economy Flexi* | 25 kg (55 lbs) |
| Economy Basic* | 20 kg (44 lbs) |
| Economy Lite* | No checked baggage |
*For bookings made prior to 8th April 2019, the free baggage allowance as per ticket booking will be honoured.
**For Medina & Jeddah, Economy Class Free Baggage Allowance (FBA) is 30kgs across all Economy Fare families/brands.
What can I carry?
You can check-in any pieces of baggage, total weight must not exceed the maximum baggage allowed for your cabin class.
Apart from the FBA, passengers are also entitled to a Cabin Baggage Allowance. Please note that you are responsible for this baggage at all times throughout the flight. A number of additional items may also be carried for free as per the link on the Cabin Baggage Allowance page. These include a handbag, laptop in bag etc.
Malaysia Airlines provides more information on Baggage, including extra baggage purchase and other useful things to know on their website.
This Post Has 2 Comments
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.
Thanks Lemuel for highlighting this. We travelled on Malaysia Airlines out of KLIA a week ago and had no problems pooling our luggage in three suitcases. I have read the FAQ in your link and it makes no mention that one person is limited to only their specified allowance even if there are multiple people on the booking. I will see if we have any problems on our return journey. It is possible you just had a cranky check-in person, but this isn’t a good look. I’d take it up with MAS and if there’s no resolution, with Malaysian Aviation Commission MAVCOM [email protected].