Avianca Baggage Fees: What You'll Actually Pay

Avianca's carry-on maximum is 55 x 35 x 25 cm, or about 22 x 14 x 10 in, including wheels and handles, and it weighs up to 10 kg (22 lb). It has to go in the overhead compartment, the standard carry-on placement most airlines use.

The personal item is smaller: 45 x 35 x 20 cm, or about 18 x 14 x 8 in, and has to fit under the seat in front of you. Avianca includes this personal item free on every fare, which matters because the carry-on itself isn't guaranteed on Avianca's lowest fare tier.

Avianca's 10 kg carry-on weight limit puts it in the middle of the pack among international carriers that actually weigh cabin bags. It's heavier than Emirates' 7 kg Economy limit and Turkish Airlines' 8 kg limit, but lighter than Air France's combined 12 kg carry-on-plus-personal-item allowance in Economy. If you're used to flying a U.S. domestic carrier like United, Delta, or American, none of which publish a carry-on weight limit at all, Avianca's 10 kg cap is worth weighing for at home before a trip that includes it.

Carry-on baggage is included on every Avianca fare except Basic. On a Basic ticket, the carry-on isn't part of your included allowance and has to be purchased separately, either when you book, through Manage Booking, or during online check-in. The personal item remains free even on Basic, so you're not left with nothing, just the smaller under-seat bag rather than the full overhead-bin allowance.

This is the same pattern you'll see on Frontier, Spirit, and WestJet's cheapest tiers in North America: the personal item is the one bag nearly every airline includes regardless of fare, while the full carry-on becomes a paid add-on once you drop to the bottom fare tier. If you're booking Basic specifically to save money, price the carry-on add-on before you commit, since buying it during initial booking is generally cheaper than adding it later through Manage Booking or at the airport.

A standard Avianca checked bag can weigh up to 23 kg (50 lb) in Economy, or up to 32 kg (70 lb) in Business Class, and has to measure no more than 158 linear cm (about 62 in), the combined total of height, length, and width. That 158 cm figure lines up with the 62-inch standard used by most major U.S. and international carriers.

Avianca Elite status members and certain fare types get additional baggage allowance at no extra cost, on top of the standard figures above, according to Avianca's own elite baggage page. The exact extra allowance depends on your specific status tier and fare, so check your account or booking for the number that applies to you.

The 158 cm combined-dimension rule works the same way as the more familiar '62 linear inch' figure quoted by U.S. carriers, just expressed in metric. If you're converting a bag's inch measurements to check against Avianca's cm-based rule, add length, width, and height in inches, multiply the total by 2.54, and compare that against 158, rather than converting each dimension separately, since small rounding differences in each individual conversion can add up across three numbers.

Avianca doesn't publish one flat dollar figure for an extra bag, an overweight bag, or an oversized bag. Its own help center is direct about this: if your baggage exceeds the allowed weight or dimensions, an additional charge applies on top of whatever you've already paid, without stating the exact amount on the general policy page. Pricing is generated per booking, based on your route and fare, the same dynamic-pricing pattern you'll see on Frontier or United's checked bag fees in the U.S.

To get a real number, add extra baggage through Manage Booking or during online check-in, which Avianca allows up to 48 hours before departure generally, or 24 hours before departure specifically for flights to and from the United States and Canada. Buying in advance through these channels is consistently framed by Avianca as the way to avoid paying a higher rate at the airport counter.

If you know you're bringing a checked bag or a full carry-on on a Basic fare, add it during booking or through Manage Booking rather than waiting for the airport. Avianca's own guidance consistently frames early purchase, at booking, through Manage Booking, or during online check-in, as the lower-cost path compared to paying once you've already arrived at the airport.

Before you fly, weigh your bag against the 10 kg carry-on or 23 kg checked limit at home, and measure it against the 55 x 35 x 25 cm or 158 cm figures using the fit checker, so you're not finding out you're over at the check-in counter where the fee, whatever it turns out to be for your route, is likely to be higher.

It's also worth deciding upfront whether Basic is actually the cheaper option once you factor in baggage. If you already know you're bringing a full carry-on, price out Basic plus a purchased carry-on against Avianca's next fare tier up before you book, the same comparison worth making on any airline that unbundles its cheapest fare. Depending on the route, the gap between the two can be small enough that the higher fare, which usually comes with a friendlier change and refund policy too, ends up being the better deal.