If someone in your group is no longer heading on the jolly, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding their luggage allowance.
Is the luggage refundable?
Unfortunately, much like flights, luggage is non-refundable once it has been booked. If a passenger is removed from the booking or simply doesn't show up at the airport, the cost of their bag cannot be refunded.
Can another passenger use the extra allowance?
It might seem logical to just give their suitcase to someone else in the group, but airlines are quite strict about this for security reasons:
Named allowance: Baggage allowance is tied specifically to the individual passenger's name. If that person isn't at the check-in desk, their allowance effectively disappears.
Security protocols: Airlines cannot check in a bag for a person who isn't physically boarding the aircraft.
No "pooling" weight: You won't be able to add their weight limit to your own bag. For example, if you have 20kg and the person not travelling had 20kg, you cannot check in a single 40kg bag or two bags under your name without paying for the extra allowance yourself.
What should I do? 🤔
If you still need to take that extra suitcase, you will need to add a new bag to one of the remaining passengers' names. Find out how to do this here.