

Baggage Rules For Multi-City Travel
- Under a single Philippine Airlines (PAL) ticket
- To multi-cities/countries with different check-in baggage allowance rules (piece or weight basis)
- via Philippine Airlines throughout the journey OR
- with Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Partner Airlines (Code Share flight)
How to know your Most Significant Carrier (MSC)
First, determine the IATA areas and sub-areas involved in your journey:
IATA AREAS and SUB-AREAS
AREA 1: North America, Central and South America, Hawaii
- USA, Canada, Mexico
- Caribbean
- Central America
- South America
- Europe
- Middle East
- Africa
- Japan, Korea
- Southeast Asia
- South Asian Subcontinent
- Southwest Pacific
STEP 1:
The first carrier that crosses one IATA area to another is your MSC.
If all sectors are via PAL, the first PAL flight crossing one IATA area to another is your “MSC” and will dictate your FBA and excess baggage rules.
Unless otherwise stated, assume that the sectors shown in the ticket are connecting and considered a single checked baggage journey.
Sample 1:
All sectors via PAL
SECTOR |
IATA AREA |
MARKETING CARRIER |
SYDNEY - MANILA * |
IATA Area 3 to IATA Area 3 |
PAL |
MANILA - LONDON ** | IATA Area 3 to IATA Area 2 | First time PAL crosses between IATA Areas This flight is your “MSC” Baggage for Manila - London applies |
* FBA for Sydney 25 kgs
** FBA for London is 30kgs
Sample 2:
SECTOR |
IATA AREA |
MARKETING CARRIER |
DUBAI - MANILA |
IATA Area 2 to IATA Area 3 |
First time PAL crosses between IATA Areas This flight is your “MSC” Baggage for Dubai - Manila applies |
MANILA - JAKARTA | IATA Area 3 to IATA Area 3 | PAL |
Exception to step 1:
When travel crosses areas 1, 2, 3 in this particular order only, your MSC shall be the carrier crossing between Area 1 and Area 2.
SECTOR |
IATA AREA |
MARKETING CARRIER |
LOS ANGELES - LONDON |
IATA Area 1 to IATA Area 2 |
PARTNER AIRLINE is the carrier crossing between IATA Areas 1 & 2 and is your “MSC” Baggage for Los Angeles-London applies |
LONDON - MANILA |
IATA Area 2 to IATA Area 3 | PAL |
STEP 2:
For travel within an IATA area, the first carrier that crosses one IATA sub-area to another is your MSC.
If all sectors are via PAL, the first PAL flight crossing one IATA sub-area to another is your “MSC”.
All sectors via PAL
Sample 1
SECTOR |
IATA AREA |
MARKETING CARRIER |
AUCKLAND - MANILA |
Southwest Pacific to Southeast Asia |
First time PAL crosses between IATA Sub-Areas This flight is your “MSC” Baggage for Auckland - Manila applies |
MANILA - SINGAPORE | Southeast Asia to Southeast Asia | PAL |
Sample 2:
SECTOR |
IATA AREA |
MARKETING CARRIER |
HANEDA - MANILA |
Japan, Korea to Southeast Asia |
First time PAL crosses between IATA Sub-Areas This flight is your “MSC” Baggage for Haneda - Manila applies |
MANILA - BANGKOK | Southeast Asia to Southeast Asia |
PAL |
Exception to step 2 when all sectors are via PAL:
When travel is from sub-area Southeast Asia to Japan or Korea, in this particular order only, your MSC shall be the first carrier crossing the international sector.
Sample 1
SECTOR |
IATA AREA |
MARKETING CARRIER |
BANGKOK - MANILA |
Southeast Asia to Southeast Asia |
PAL’s first leg crossing an International sector is your “MSC” Baggage for Bangkok - Manila applies |
MANILA - NAGOYA |
Southeast Asia to Japan, Korea |
PAL |
Sample 2
SECTOR |
IATA AREA |
MARKETING CARRIER |
SAIGON - MANILA |
Southeast Asia to Southeast Asia |
PAL’s first leg crossing an International sector is your “MSC” Baggage for Saigon - Manila applies |
MANILA - SEOUL |
Southeast Asia to Japan, Korea |
PAL |
STEP 3:
For travel within an IATA Sub-Area, the first carrier crossing an international sector is your MSC.
All sectors via PAL
Sample 1
SECTOR WITHIN A SUB-AREA (all within Southeast Asia) |
MARKETING CARRIER |
|
CEBU - MANILA |
PAL
|
|
MANILA - BEIJING | PAL’s first leg crossing an International Sector within a sub-area is your “MSC” Baggage for Manila-Beijing FBA applies |
Exception to MSC:
Travel originating and ending in the USA or Canada:
If your itinerary is in one ticket and originates or ends in the USA or Canada, the first Marketing Carrier determines the baggage allowance and excess baggage charges that will apply for the entire journey. First marketing carriers can apply their own airline rule or those of the MSC.
If PAL is the “first marketing carrier”, PAL always applies the most significant carrier's rules, which may differ from PAL’s baggage rules. For return trips, if you travel in a different class or have different fare products in each direction (such as Business Class one way and Economy Class the other), the same carrier's rules apply but the allowances may differ as they will be based on the applicable fare types and classes of travel purchased in each direction.
Samples:
Sectors via PAL and Partner Airline
SECTOR |
MARKETING CARRIER |
|
MIAMI - LOS ANGELES |
PARTNER AIRLINE As First Marketing Carrier
determines your FBA and excess baggage charges
|
|
LOS ANGELES - MANILA |
PAL |
SECTOR |
MARKETING CARRIER |
|
MANILA - LOS ANGELES |
PAL As First Marketing Carrier
determines your FBA and excess baggage charges
|
|
LOS ANGELES - MIAMI |
PARTNER AIRLINE |
Click Excess Baggage Charge (EBC) for more information
Click Baggage Rules for more information
Click Copy Of The Itinerary Receipt Baggage for more information